My Friend In You
by Stalker Goes to Babylon
Summary: Before Hyrule's darkest days, a younger Ganondorf stumbles upon a mysterious little keaton lost in the desert, with the hauntingly familar name. But fate longs to rip them apart, for one of the two shall commit the darkest of crimes...
1. The keaton

My Friend In You.

According to Legend... 

Surely surely

The door between worlds is through a keaton's eye.

But if one were to look into it...

Surely surely

That one would die.

Art and Story by 

Megan 'Ryo-chan' Campbell

Original Story by Shingeru Miyamoto 

Based on the original story and game The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time Day I 

The keaton.

The sound of grass rustling was the only noise heard, as the sun slowly began to rise over the valley called Hyrule Field. Mist hovered above the tall grass like clouds, and beneath it, a set of paws parted the grass. A small animal walked through the field, only sound of blown grasses and his almost silent footsteps. Larger than a cat but small than a mere dog, he was called a keaton. Keatons were strange creatures, sought after in this land of Hyrule for luck. If a keaton were to embark on a journey with someone, that person would surely live and prosper, according to legend. But that never happened, keatons did not trust any of the five human-like races that lived in Hyrule. They were stubborn animals; they would not allow themselves to be seen by the Hylians, the Gorons, and the Zoras, sometimes not even the Kokiri elf children who inhabited the good forests of Hyrule. And especially not the arrogant feminine people of the desert, the infamous Gerudo, whose name was known far and wide for their vicious past of bloodshed and pride. They keaton would hide themselves in the woodlands, and only those brave enough to venture into those cursed woods would perhaps ever get to see the flick of a keaton's three bushy tails, or the small slit of a keaton's thin eyes, their true shape and color hidden within the mystery. The mystery of the keaton itself.

Since the beginning of life, along with every other breathing creature, these mysterious fox-like beings roamed through the dense forests of the young earth. Their appearance was an elegant one, whose beauty majested adults and even awed children's greatest fantasies. A sleek, and graceful canine, with a face that would make every woman turn and smile, if she had the chance. A keaton had long, black tipped ears, and a small black nose no bigger than a pebble on the end of its long pointed snout. Covered head to tail in a silky amber-gold fur, and on it's hind not one bushy tail but three. Three identical tails, the pattern of fur on each being the keaton's sheen; each keaton had their own sheen, with none other quite like it.

This particular keaton though...he was different. Though he looked the same, walked the same, bled the same...he was different.

The keaton walked with his tails held low, even though the wind blew sand through his fur and on his face, refreshing his body. He ignored it, and instead looked up at the rising sun in mid-step. He looked at the sunrise, awed by it's beauty. Any other mortal would have walked by it as if it were nothing. After all, every day the sun rose, and every day the same sun fell, this was no different. But he stood unmoving, until after an hour or two the sun had rose, and the day began. The keaton slowly brought his head down again, and then continued on his journey.

The reason this keaton was different was not a simple one.

_'What am I to do now...?' _He thought regretfully, as a tear fell from one of his narrow eyes, and landed in the dirt behind him, _'This regret...such a horrible feeling! I've never had before...'_ He tried through more grass, until the plant life grew a little scarcer and the ground denser. _'Without anything...what is?'_

From sun rise to sun fall the keaton aimlessly walked. He crossed out of Hyrule Field and into the Gerudo Valley. As the sun set, he walked across the bridge that connected the cast Gerudo deserts to the rest of Hyrule. Far beneath the bridge, at the bottom of the canyon that the bridge spanned across, was a raging river, filled with rapids. Also, there were three huge, dangerous, yet beautiful waterfalls. He stopped for a moment, awing the power of the raging waterfalls. Never before had this young keaton seen such energy! He let out something somewhat like a sigh, and then kept walking; his paws were starting to ache.

A young Gerudo girl sat near the other end of the bridge, leaning against her spear that was probably too large for her to combat with anyway. She held her head down, trying her hardest not to fall asleep on her shift, yet she didn't want to find the energy to guard the bridge properly either. She slipped off into a daze, until she was awakened by a slight nudge. Someone was nudging against her cheek. "...Huh?" She mumbled sleepily, lifted her head and opened her eyes to see, "...Keaton?" She looked at the innocent little dog in front of her. _'Is this really one of them?'_ She thought, _'Those fabled keaton that can kill even the priestess?'_

The keaton looked at the girl, she seemed not to respond to him, so he brought his head beside hers and, with his snout, nudged her gently again. She stood up quickly and looked down at him. _'But...he looks so harmless!'_ She thought, and leaned against her spear. He looked up at her, then to the pass that lead into the dessert. She made no motion of stopping him, so the keaton stared for a moment, and then silently walked off. After he left, she looked at the sky. "It's getting dark..." She smiled to herself, "You'd better hurry up...strange little keaton."

The keaton walked through the busy fortress that lies beyond the pass. What would later prove to be a good omen for him, many were too busy to even notice him, so busy...that the large gate that lead into the wastelands of a desert was left ajar. The gate was almost closed, but there was just enough space left that Kaysho could crawl underneath it. He walked into the desert, every once in a while his mind waking from it's daze, asking him what on earth did he think he was doing. _'Surely it isn't wise to be here...' _he thought, _'But...why can't I seem to return?'_

The sun fell, and the keaton kept walking, the moon rose, and the keaton kept walking. With every step how his body wished to go back, or just stop and rest his sore legs and paws. But his mind felt a longing to be somewhere...and forced his legs to keep walking. The moon crossed over him as he stumbled over endless dunes of sand, and the occasional boulder, until the sun rose again, and a new day began.


	2. The boy

Day II

The boy.

Around mid morning, the keaton's situation worsened; a sand stormed started to blow. The winds were sharp and hostile, and the sand blew across his already aching body, and seemingly endless pain flew through his muscles. The wind was warm, and made the sand hot. So hot that it started to burn the little keaton's paws. And as the wind flew over the endless dunes of sand, it made an eerie howling noise. Yet again morning turned to day, and day turned to afternoon, and still the young keaton went on. At a time the ground almost seemed unstable beneath his feet, because of the shifting sands. He stopped, and tiredly looked down at his two from paws. Blood ran from them. The sand had ripped away at the padding of his feet, and behind him were red footprints, that were slowly being buried by the storm. The keaton moaned a little, and slowly looked back to his own feet, matching in red color, but his eyes started to focus past them. _'...Moving?'_ He thought of the ground. His thin eyes grew a little wider; the ground was moving. The keaton stumbled and fell as two levers rose from the ground behind him! One charged at him, and the other followed, both unaffected by and used to the hostile environment. Kaysho quickly stumbled to his feet, but not fast enough to avoid the first predator. It rammed itself into him, gashing the keaton's left hind leg. The keaton yipped in pain and jumped away clumsily, looking pleadingly at his bloody hip. The leever sunk back into the sand, pleased with the damage it had caused, but the second had not yet had its fill. The keaton knew better than to wait, and started to run away, as fast as he could. But it was not fast enough, because the sand slowed him, and so did his wounds. The second leever started to gain on him, growing angrier by the second because of the sand that the keaton was kicking into its face.

"Hissssssa!" It hissed, spinning crazily at the keaton. It finally caught up with him, right beside the frightened animal, and grazed its' side with the spikes upon it's 'head.' A leever was some sort of overgrown sand worm; it didn't truly have a head.

The keaton whimpered again, looking back to the cut on it's back while it was running. It wasn't too big, but it was deep. Not a good sign. His leg felt horrible, how he even found the energy to keep from falling over, the keaton did not know. The leever, banged up against him again, pushing all it's weight into him. The keaton cried out in pain yet again, and was flung to the ground and started to tumble down through the sand. At the top of that particular dune, the monster seemed proud of itself and sunk into the sand, burrowing far away to join its brother. The keaton landed at the bottom of the hill with a thud, and lay there. He slowly looked down at al four of his own feet; they were just lying there, lifelessly. _'Get up...get up!'_ The keaton told his legs, but they did not do so. In fact, the only thing they could and were doing was bleed. _'Get up...'_ He told himself, but at the same time his head started to fall and his eyes droop. _'please...just get......'_

Later in the evening of that same day, in the same desert...was a boy. A young man, still a teenager, and yet considered an adult. The lad was quite tall for his age, which was sixteen. He was thought to be an attractive young man, with dark sun-tanned skin, and burning-orange hair that stuck up and out in any and every plausible direction, like a wildfire that cannot be subdued. The lad held the reins of his horse, whom he was leading through the desert before night fell. He was already late, but he figured that if he hurried the sands wouldn't be too unbearable. "Come on." He said, partly annoyed by his steed, and continued to guide the horse through the desert. He was starting to wonder why it was so quiet, when he saw the blood stained keaton, half buried in the sand.

"What the...?" He whispered to no one in particular, as he bent down to look at the little animal below him. The boy sat on his knees, and with disbelieving hands, started to brush some of the sand off of the keaton. It was wounded badly, especially on it's hind left leg. The creature had a broken leg and a bloodied heel, cut on it's back, and feet too sore and scorched to even walk on. The boy looked down at the keaton, looked at it's innocence and misfortune. The little animal would surely die, if he did not help it. But what was a keaton doing in the desert, of all place anyway? As far as the boy knew, he could be a spy from the Hylians, or perhaps even a leper. But the lad looked down at him again, and saw that he was shivering. "Should I..." He thought aloud, then had another thought. "Keaton's are supposed to have hidden powers..."

That hardened boy, with the expectations of a man, and a heart trained to be cold and final...showed mercy upon the poor keaton, and gently picked it up and held it in his arms. _'I wonder...how the heck did this thing make it this far?' _He thought as he brushed the rest of the sand off the little keaton, and walked back to his horse. _'Or what was it even doing here in the first place?' _The lad reached for his cape. _ 'Strange little creature,' _the lad took his own cloak, died blood red, and wrapped it around the wounded creature. _'...keaton.' _The young man tied his horse's reins to his belt, and carried the shivering little animal home with him, holding the keaton gingerly in his arms. Home to the Spirit Temple.


	3. A thought

Day III

A thought.

The keaton awoke, hours later, to a warm fire. He couldn't move, so he only stared into the flames, his mind still asleep. He loved the warmth of the fire, and the soft red rug beneath, and warmth surrounding him. Only then did he wonder, _'…How did I get here?' _ He moved his head a bit to the left, then looked up. He saw a young man, the same boy that had found him in the desert, though he did not know this. The boy had also fallen asleep in front of the fire, leaning against table post, with his legs crossed, the keaton in his lap. _'He saved me?' _wondered the keaton, but soon sleep overcame him again. His ears twitched a little as he burrowed back into the warmth of the boy's pant leg.

The boy awoke, later, after the sun had risen and morning had came. He looked at the keaton in his lap; still sleeping. He started to recall the events of the night before, slowly. He must have gotten lost in his thoughts again, it happened often. The girls and women though it weird, when he would not respond to them at all, then suddenly jump up, breathing heavily. As he dug deeper and deeper into his mind, the small one in his lap started to stir. He pushed his thoughts aside and looked down at the animal, curiosity in his amber eyes. The keaton awoke, and slowly looked up at his savior. The boy looked down at him, noticing that it looked tired; bruised and beaten inside and out. After a minute of staring from the two, the keaton smiled weakly, then rested his head on the boy's arm. They boy smiled, and carefully stood up and, still holding the keaton, walked up a few flights of stairs, then set him down on a bed. His bed. 

"…Thank you." The little keaton managed to say. It must have seemed very strange to the lad, an animal talking just like a human would! The boy's first reaction was odd, a small cry of fear escaped his throat, and he jumped back a little. His hands started to shake, as he slowly, but forcefully started to bring them up to cover his ears. "Teiryuu…saru! Saru, saru, saru, dake saru!!" He said, speaking in foreign tougne. The keaton was very surprised by the boy's actions, his slitted eyes widened just a little, but not enough for the boy to take notice. "I meant…no harm!" the keaton pleaded.

The boy looked up again, and at the animal in front of him. "You can talk…" He said, not really a question, but unsure sounding just the same.

"I'm sorry…to bring my burden on you…" The keaton said slowly, his voice fading.

The boy caught his breath, and looked at the keaton, "No…I didn't know that your kind spoke." He said, hiding his relief. "You keaton speak like we do?"

The keaton nodded in reply. "…Yes. Where…is this?"

The boy's eyes suddenly sparked with a childlike curiosity. He was talking to a Keaton, lucky of him! "We're deep in the Gerudo Deserts," He replied. 

He, the keaton paused for a moment. 'The Gerudo Desert…' he thought, 'the forbidden lands…but this boy, he seems so friendly…can these people really be that horrible?' He shook the question away as a sharp pain shot through his left hind leg and tail, and he 'yipped' in pain and let his head fall to the bed, not finding the strengh to hold it up. The keaton looked at the curiously attentive boy, and managed a, "…Thank you."

The lad blinked, then walked over to the keaton to help him, "Can I ask," he started, "your name?"

The little keaton smiled again, "Of course. My name is Kaysho."

"Kaysho?" the boy, Ganondorf, repeated, and his eyes grew a little wider. _'Kaysho…Kaysho Kay-sho….I've heard that somewhere before…' _he thought quickly, as images started to flash through his mind.

**__**

Sing, O Kaysho. Only to demons will the gentle spirit sing.


	4. The witches

Day IV

The witches.

The young Ganondorf soon learned how fragile Kaysho's little body was. Under watchful eyes, he, with the utmost care, bandaged Kaysho's bloody limbs and cooled his burning forehead. He kept his gaze away from those who were watching him. They were considered his step-aunts, and were raising him to someday rule their land…or perhaps more? They, the sister Great Sorceresses Koume and Kotake. Kotake didn't seem to mind the keaton around one bit; it was, after all, good fortune to be near one. And Koume hastily agreed, much to Ganondorf's content. But soon after Kaysho started to head, both left. Left to the top of their mysterious temple, a where not even Ganondorf wanted to roam, for the stench of rotting animal flesh. They all found how much Kaysho loved to talk to people, surprising, for an 'animal.'

Kaysho healed slowly, but soon enough, walking and talking again. Ganondorf and he kept each other good company, for a life alone in a abandoned temple was sometimes a sad life. Kaysho would tell Ganondorf tales of warriors who saved lands, and more often, ancient legends of Hyrule. Ganondorf seemed more interested in the legends, even though many had no definite ending. Ganondorf's curiosity and fascination brought about a smile to Kaysho's face. There was one tale, especially, that Ganondorf liked the most. He would not mind hearing it night after night…the legend of the Triforce.

"It is an ancient legend," Kaysho would start, "that tells of the creation of the land that we stand upon. The legend of the Triforce is this…

_"Long long ago, before life and time began, Hyrule was nothing but chaos in itself. This was of the time before time, or at least before beings existed that could reckon time, or care about its passage. The land of Hyrule was born when three goddesses, Din, Nayru and Farore, descended from the heavens and brought order to this chaotic realm. They populated their new creation with five different humanoid races. First came the fish-like Zora in the watery regions of the world. In the dense mountains, the rock-eating Gorons rose up from the earth. In the depths of the forest, the elfin Kokiri sprung up, along with their guardian, the Deku Tree, who sheltered them from outside forces. The swarthy Gerudo inhabited Hyrule's deserts, and in the verdant plains, the noble and zealous Hylians grew powerful. _

Before leaving their new world, the three goddesses imparted on the newborn races a sacred code of law and order. When they departed Hyrule for the heavens, they left behind a symbol of their power, the legendary essence, Triforce! Representing the three aspects of the goddesses, Power, Courage and Wisdom, the Triforce became a sacred and lusted after item, but to this day no mortal has so much as touched it…"

"The boy's mind…he fills it with outside thoughts." Koume said to Kotake one morning, from the dark depths of their tower. Though surrounded by darkness, they were ever watchful.

"Kaysho. He doesn't know." Kotake observed.

"Yes," Koume agreed, and slowly nodded, "It's better he doesn't."

"Shouldn't he? He would be a powerful ally…"

Koume shook her head. "No." held up her hand, and from the very air above it, grew a small growing orb. At first, small and as shiny as a wet pearl, but it grew and sprouted colors. Green, brown, blue, white, it's colors swirled until they lay still, in the pattern so illogical and yet so perfect.

"Earth…" Kotake said slowly, half in question and half in wonder.

Koume nodded. She spun around the glowing earth in her grasp, and saw the reflection of Ganondorf in it. "He can't know," she looked back to the earth for a moment, and then suddenly it shattered. She looked back up to Kotake…

__

"Would you do it?"

__

So it came time that Kaysho had healed, and he was able to go on his way again. But neither he nor Ganondorf wanted to part, they had made a bond…a friendship. So the one morning, Kaysho followed a scent, with his keen nose, up the temple steps and floor, up endless stairwells and through uncountable corridors till he reached the top of the temple. He wanted to wrinkle his nose at the smell, but could not, in fear of offending the witches. Inside a large chamber that smelt of wolfos hide and Dodongo fang, was the workspace of Koume and Kotake. Kaysho tiptoed in, and watched curiously as the odd witches worked. They barked things at each other, while flipping madly through spell books and tossing all sorts of things into their cauldron of bubbling liquid. 

"Tissels and tassels, create our stew!" Koume shouted with an evil gleefulness in her old voice, as she tossed a bottle of glowing mist into the cauldron, not bothering to keep the bottle. 

"Oh please don't explode this time, our glooping goo!" Kotake added on, giggling drunkly, as she carelessly chucked a sack of dragon's scales the stew as well.

Kaysho watched for another moment, and then suddenly realized his rudeness in doing so, and meekly stepped out into view. After a short moment, Kotake looked down and took notice of the little keaton, sitting on the floor and smiling shyly. "Good morning." Kaysho said, looking up at the two as they flew down to him, each on an enchanted broom.

"What is it, Keaton?" Kotake asked, for Koume and she had not yet learned his name.

"…First, I'd like to thank you for letting me stay here." Kaysho said quickly, and bowed his head for a moment, "You were very kind to me-"

Koume cut him off, "It was not us. _ Ganondorf _was kind to you." She said matter-of-factually, and looked down at the keaton.

"Are you saying…?" Kotake began, with a bit kinder tone, "That you want to stay here?"

Kaysho looked up at her, paused for a moment, and then nodded, "Yes! I am. I've no other friends like that boy…I want to stay with him."

Koume crossed her arms and paused for a moment, while Kotake thought. "I think it will be alright, sister." Kotake said, "What harm can this mere little keaton bring us?"

"I'm not sure…" Koume said, then they both continued to argue for a few minutes, as if Kaysho weren't even there. Finally, Koume gave in and with a flick of her wrist, shooed Kaysho out of the room. He gratefully left, and started back down to the more familiar parts of the Spirit Temple, only to collide with Ganondorf halfway down. They tumbled down a staircase and landed on top of each other.

"Kaysho!" He exclaimed, "What are you doing here? …I thought you'd already left…did you come to say goodbye?" He asked, while frowning.

Kaysho rested his paws on Ganondorf's torso. "I don't wish to say goodbye." He smiled, and Ganondorf caught on while Kaysho continued, "So I won't."

"…Hide it." Koume said to Kotake.


	5. The sword

Day V

The sword.

Kaysho stared. Stared strait into Ganondorf's amber eyes, his cold, fierce eyes. A small smile came to his lips, a smile full of his soul's most hidden treasure.

__

"Ganondorf…"

From his dream, Ganondorf suddenly awoke, and sat strait up in a cold sweat. He looked around, looking frantically for Kaysho. His eyes found the keaton, and he sighed slowly. Asleep on the rug, curled up in a little ball. The same place Kaysho was every morning, an d had been for the past few months. He looked from the sleeping Kaysho to out his window; perhaps the only window in the Spirit Temple. _'Just a dream…'_ he thought.

"…Oheayo."

"Huh?" Ganondorf threw off the sheet to his bed, and looked down.

Kaysho stood up, and yawned, exposing a full set of canine teeth. "Oheayo." He repeated, "Good Morning!"

Ganondorf couldn't help but smile. "Crazy keaton talk." He said with a laugh, and drowsily got up and out of bed.

Kaysho didn't understand the nature of what Ganondorf said. He tilted his head, and asked, "Is it a bad morning?"

"Soon enough, it will be." Ganondorf disclosed, "I have a sword match today."

"Again?" Kaysho asked in short disbelief, "Are they required of humans?"

"Of Gerudo, they are." He said, as he pulled a short over his head, and then reached for his belt, "I always lose though…all the girls are better at it than me."

"Then good omen to you." Kaysho said with a encouraging smile.

Ganondorf blinked, "Good omen?"

Kaysho chuckled, "Good luck, good luck! It means good luck, good fortune. Whatever you wish to call it."

Ganondorf just shook his head with a slight grin, and looked out the window again. "Do you want to come, Kaysho?"

"Come?" Kaysho looked up at him, "I've never even been to your fortress place before…I would be of no help to you."

Ganondorf shook his head, "You don't need to help with anything…I just want you to come." He paused, then averted his eyes from Kaysho's. Even if they were friends, Kaysho's unmoving stare could still bother him.

So across the scorching sands, they rode. Ganondorf held the reins of his proud back steed with one hand, and a shaky Kaysho in the other. Ironically enough, horses scared Kaysho to death. But at the same time, within his fear, he felt safe. From the fear he looked up at Ganondorf, who's pubescent, suntanned arm rested firmly around his neck. The horse Kaysho was so afraid of was definitely under Ganondorf's control; he looked like a man when he was atop his steed. Even though he trembled, Kaysho found tranquility in his master's arms.

When mid-day came, Ganondorf walked into the Gerudo Fortress, unhappily accustomed to the strange looks he sometimes received. But today, an even more unusual site: a strange little three tailed fox! Kaysho walked in beside Ganondorf, and stayed faithfully by his side. He didn't seem to care when the women whispered behind his back, but with such large and accurate ears, he surely noticed. It only put a cunning smile on his muzzle. The younger soldiers found him cute, the older found him strange, and many agreed that he was lanky. Some went as far to say that the Prince Ganondorf wasn't feeding him very well, for Kaysho was both a small and slender animal. A few wagered his hide would be worth a good sum of money. Ganondorf urged Kaysho to walk faster upon hearing that.

"This is the place." Ganondorf said to Kaysho, as the two walked into a small field, set up between the pueblo buildings that made up the Gerudo Fortress.

Kaysho looked up and around. The area had a deep red-colored chalk square in the center, the boundary lines. At each corner was a smoothly polished stone, each a seemingly transparent deep yellow-green. 

Ganondorf sat down on one side of the ring, glumly waiting to see who his opponent would be. "Kaysho…" he said, and looked down to the Keaton. Even sitting down, Ganondorf was still a head taller than when Kaysho stood up.

"Pardon?" Kaysho answered attentively. But just at that time, through the other doorway walked their opponent.

Sleek, and graceful, with her hair tied tightly out of the way. A young lady who held her head high, and rightfully so. She strode onto the court, and held in her hand two swords. A wooden one, the ones the used for training matches like this, and a real sword. Beautifully crafted, with jewels engraved into the hilt. The blade was long, and curved inwards, from the middle of it an extra point stuck out. Wickedly shaped for ripping off the enemy's flesh.

Ganondorf looked up at her for a moment. "….Nabooru." He recognized. Kaysho chuckled.

"Prince." She replied, obviously disgusted in the way that she had to address him. Nabooru held a secret against him. "And…what is _that_?"

Kaysho smiled and answered for himself, "Hello."

Nabooru took a step back, she didn't expect it to talk. "…A Kitsune?" she asked, slightly raising one eyebrow.

"Kit-suu-nei?" Kaysho said, playing with the unusual sounds, "No. I'm just a keaton!"

"His name is Kaysho." Ganondorf unexpectedly spoke up, a hint of protection in his voice. He put on hand on the ground, and rose back to his feet. "Let's get this over with…" he said, almost already having given in to defeat. He knew very well that Nabooru was the most skilled person their age with the sword. Ganondorf reached for his own wooden sword, and placed it in his right hand. His left, though, he used to balance.

"Foolish," Nabooru said, taking a dare just by insulting a Prince, "These are two handed swords."

"I don't care." Was Ganondorf's indifferent reply.

A small smirked curled up her red lips, she raised her sword, and thus their quarrel began.

Kaysho watched, with pure fascination and wonder. _'They move so fast!'_ he thought eagerly, watching their swords clang and clash against each other like ancient titans. From one end to the other, they dashed across the court. Nabooru seemed to fly the way she moved so gracefully, and Ganondorf could barely keep up. _'So fast…'_ the thought ran though Kaysho's mind over and over.

Ganondorf was too busy fighting, or in his opinion, losing, to pay attention to little Kaysho…but Nabooru on the other hand was able to grab a few good glances at him. _'What the…?' _she thought.

_'…Huh? They're slowing down…'_ Kaysho thought, _'Are they tired?'_

Ganondorf and Nabooru, oblivious to Kaysho's strange look, continued their fight. The final blow was about to be dealt. Ganondorf, angry in his shame of yet again being defeated, used the last of his strengh to charge after Nabooru. She on the other hand knew all too well what was to happen. He would charge, she would step aside and deal the blow. He would fall, yet again. The thought brought calmness to her heated soul.

Kaysho watched eagerly, hoping and praying that Ganondorf would win. He unconsciously wanted for than anything at that moment for his friend to be victorious; for his friend to be happy. A friendship like a fire…a flame burning within one's soul.

Nabooru saw it. Curiosity sparked her, as she looked over Ganondorf's shoulder, to the little keaton that sat behind the chalk lines. Victory was surely hers, so she fixated her attention on Kaysho. _'There!'_ For a split second, for the smallest moment, Kaysho's eyes shot wide open, then narrowed to a thin slit. But the pupil of his eye was luckily well hidden…behind the glow. A brilliant shining blue, as if the Arctic's glaciers melted and feel into his being. All the world's ocean was caught in a supernatural flame; a swirl of colors beyond human knowledge. Nabooru caught a glimpse of that haunting sapphire, an endless hue without measure or depth. Truly…the color of his soul.

The match was over. Kaysho blinked his eyes, and took a step back. What he hallucinating? He tried to remember what he saw, but his legs wobbled, and his chest throbbed. He could only remember what was in front of him.

Ganondorf gripped on his weapon loosened. _'Did you see me, Kaysho? Did you see?'_ was what part of him wanted to call out, but his mind was still caught on the fact. _'How?'_

Nabooru was on the ground. Sword in hand. Defeated. "Impossible-" she started to say, but Ganondorf had turned away. He did not savor his victory, like other Gerudo would.

"Kaysho! Kaysho…" Instead of taking pride in a quick victory, he bent down to help his friend, "Kaysho…what happened?"

"I…I don't know." Kaysho replied quietly. He tried to return to his feet, but instead, only stumbled. When he stumbled, Ganondorf threw his sword to the side, no longer caring for it. He reached out his arms and caught little Kaysho.

Nabooru silently rose to her feet, and watched them silently. He had thrown down his sword. Right then, she could call herself the victor. She could laugh at him, the weak little Prince, she could even spit in his face. But Nabooru looked down at them, and realized. He simply wouldn't care.

"You look exasperated…it must be the heat." Ganondorf thought aloud, an wiped the sweat from Kaysho's brow.

"I suppose…" he answered softly, and managed a smile. 

Nabooru was truly puzzled. _'To give up what is yours…for another?'_ She thought. That was something always discouraged against in the deserts. Why give something you own, to benefit another? It's your loss. That was the way of the Gerudo. _'But….they look happy.'_

Ganondorf walked away from the battle, with Kaysho curled up in his arms, like a kitten. He left his sword, and even his lunch. He took no claim for the victory. He only turned, and walked away from it all.

Kaysho looked over Ganondorf's shoulder, and smiled to Nabooru, a way of saying 'Goodbye.'

She only stared, with unmoving amber eyes. In the midst of her thick, full black eyelashes, her eyes shone like a golden Sphinx in the Egyptian sunset. She looked from Kaysho, to Ganondorf, and back again and again. She could only ponder out loud, "…A fire. Burning inside." 

**__**

Rise, O Kaysho! Hidden Phoenix!


	6. The mirror

Day VI

The mirror.

Days became weeks, and weeks months. The full moon rose over the desert sands many times. And every day still, life went on the same…more or less.

__

"Ganondorf…"

The dream spoke to him once again,

__

"Can you see me, Ganondorf?

I'll do it.

I will."

Ganondorf shot up from his slumber, in a cold sweat. He frantically searched and scanned the room, and as always, found Kaysho curled up on the rug, in a warm little ball. His ears would twitch every so often as he slept. _'You're lucky to have pleasant dreams…'_ Ganondorf thought of Kaysho, then ran his hand through his hair. That little voice repeated itself, over and over in his mind…

__

'Can you see me?'

'I'll do it…'

'I will.'

Ganondorf shook his head, and quietly stood up. Surely, it was not Kaysho saying that, he assured himself, as he gently closed the door. _'Surely…'_ He thought, and walked away silently, to let Kaysho sleep.

"Surely what?" Came a scratchy voice.

Ganondorf stopped immediately in his tracks. "Surely nothing." He lied though his teeth, and turned to face Koume.

She hovered above him, sturdy on her broom, and looked him over, as if she were deciding whether to buy him or not. "Ganondorf..." she started to warn.

"…What?" he asked, a tiny hint of virtue in his voice.

"Don't let him fool you." Koume warned her pupil, "Don't let him play tricks with your mind."

Ganondorf raised his eyebrows, in confusion. An uneasy confusion. "I do not understand…"

"Listen well, boy." She ordered, "One day you will grow up, and you will be king. A King cannot be deceived. Don't let a little keaton deceive you."

A sudden string of anger shot through Ganondorf's body. "Kaysho is no liar." He said, feeling his voice lower and the words left his throat.

"He isn't then? What would trust him with, Ganondorf? How far are you willing to follow him?"

Ganondorf couldn't hide his distasteful anger, and turned away. As he walked away, his own words surprised him as he answered, "To the end of the earth, hell, and back again."

Kaysho was wandering about the Spirit Temple, nothing for him to do since Ganondorf was out. He was walking through the halls and peeking into room after room, searching only for a nice sunny spot to take a nap. But as he progressed, the corridors only seemed to get dimmer. He was about to turn back, but curiosity sparked him, and he looked into one last room.

Complete darkness. But out of the dark, was a dim light, almost a glow fixated in the center of the room. There, stood a mirror. Tall, framed with a dirty bronze, and jewels of all colors crafted into the metal. At the top, and bottom, strange ancient symbols where engraved in black. The light was coming from the mirror, which made no sense to Kaysho. It's puzzled him in such a way, that he slowly took a step towards it, to get a closer look. Another step, and more came, until he stood right in front of it. "Strange…" he thought aloud, while looking at the little black symbols. It was a foreign language to him, he couldn't even begin to read it. However, three characters at the very bottom of the mirror caught his eye. The first two were smaller in size, each swerved downwards and had dots and slashes next to them. The third was larger, and it's bottom line went under the other two, enclosing them. Then it stopped, a jut in the ink, and slashed back up again. Three ancient characters, of no meaning. And yet, how compellingly familiar they were to Kaysho.

_'So this is a mirror…'_ Kaysho started to think as he rose his head. But all thoughts were put aside, and he took a step back in alarm. His reflection wasn't in the mirror.

Replacing a mirror replica of Kaysho, stood a young man. He wasn't near as tall as Ganondorf, or as strong looking, this man was thin. He wore no shoes, and stood on nothing. The background of the room was also not in the mirror, only the stranger stood there, surrounded by a heavy, mystifying fog. His clothing was baggy, and orient, made of the finest white silk. His hair was long, long, and would reach down to the floor if he hadn't tied it off just above his knees. The bangs were long too, and hid the man's face, in mystery. His ears were also fairly hidden, but one could tell that they were very long, even longer than a Hylian's. Through Kaysho couldn't see his eyes, the man stared down at him, a unmoving, eternal stare. Enough to drive one mad.

Kaysho stared back up at him, with quivering eyes. He took a small step forward, to get a closer look.

The figure in the mirror's expression did not react, then he too moved one foot forward.

"What?" Kaysho asked no one in particular, in utter disbelief. He took another step, and so did the man. He swung his left ear around, something surely a human couldn't do. But again, the boy copied. _'This can't be…'_ Kaysho thought, as he did more actions. But none the less, the figure was completely at his command. _'But…but that isn't me! How can it be? I'm not human…this cannot be true!'_ Kaysho whimpered a little, praying that the hallucination would end, or he would wake up. That the dream would leave him.

"Foolish keaton."

_'What?'_ Kaysho looked up, and searched for who had spoken to him. But no one else was there. He, slowly and frightfully, looked back up to the man.

"Foolish keaton." It repeated.

The voice was coming from the figure. '_But how?' _Kaysho thought, _'His lips aren't moving!'_ And indeed they weren't. The voice came from the figure, but he didn't move a muscle, his expression never changed.

"Do you think he can save you?" Came the man's voice without warning.

"…I don't understand…" Kaysho replied quietly.

"Do you really think…" the voice began, "That your master can save you?"

Kaysho's eyes widened, a thin line of white could be seen underneath the slit black. _'What is he talking about?'_ Kaysho thought to himself, _'Save me from what…?'_

"Kaysho!"

Kaysho jumped in surprise, of the sudden louder voice. He turned around, and to his relief, Ganondorf stood there, back from his studies. Kaysho shakily darted back to the mirror, to find the man gone. The mirror worked just like a normal mirror now. "...G-Ganondorf!" Kaysho stuttered.

He raised an eyebrow, "…Have you seen a ghost?"

"No, no…" he shook his head, and gratefully hopped over to Ganondorf, feeling much safer in his presence, "I…the dark playing tricks on me…that's all."

Ganondorf blinked, then looked down at Kaysho. _'You're trembling…'_ he thought, but chose not to say it aloud. Instead, he rested a hand on Kaysho's head, and scratched his ears. "If it's too dark, then I'll give you a light."

Kaysho looked up to him, "But don't you need it?"

"I'll give mine to you." Ganondorf said to him, and then started down the corridor. "If you need it, then I will give it to you."


	7. A dream

Day VII

A dream.

__

"Can you see me, Ganondorf?

Don't you know my secret?"

Spoke Ganondorf's reoccurring dream…or was it a reoccurring nightmare? It had visited him more often in the past few weeks. Kaysho hovered above him, so close that his snout nearly touching Ganondorf's face.

__

"The day **will** come.

I shall…"

Ganondorf woke from his dream with a shout, and frantically looked around the room. Kaysho was nowhere to be seen. _'That horrible dream…'_ Ganondorf thought, and shuddered. He was sick of having that dream…sick of the scarier-version Kaysho. _'It isn't true…so why won't that dream just leave me alone?'_

"Master!"

Ganondorf's jumped slightly, but recognized the voice. He looked down, and to his relief, Kaysho stood by the side of his bed, with a concerned look on his face.

"Master," He repeated, "are you alright?"

Ganondorf sighed heavily, and ran a hand through his hair. He looked down at Kaysho, and replied, "…Just a bad dream."

Kaysho tilted his head, and looked at Ganondorf. "…It you say it, then it is so." He said, in full trust. Kaysho smiled, and hoped up onto the bed, "But now that you're awake…up, up, up!"

"No way," Ganondorf said, and tossed a pillow at Kaysho, "I was up late last night."

"Oh, where you? I wonder why… Kaysho started to tease.

"Okay, okay, I'm up!" Ganondorf gave in, and stood up, "And I was _studying_, Kaysho."

He grinned a harmless keaton grin, "I know that."

__

"The day **will** come."

Over and over again, that dream-manipulated Kaysho repeated his words, over and over in Ganondorf's head. _'What day?'_ Ganondorf had strayed fare enough from reality to think about, _'Day for what?'_ He wandered deeper into the Abyss of Curiosity, as he slowly wandered down the hallways, making sure to keep quiet when he passed by his room, because he didn't want to wake his friend.

Inside the room, Kaysho lie by a flickering fireplace, it's embers dimly burning. He was curled up on a blood red rug, fast asleep. Un-plagued by bad dreams or spirits.

_'Day…what day…?'_ Ganondorf continued to ponder, and soon he was lost in the abyss. He wandered the halls of the temple, running his hand along the walls. _'What…will happen on this 'day'?' _That question stood out from the others. As he wondered about these things, Ganondorf didn't seem to notice as the walls and air around him grew darker.

Dark, dark, and darker furthermore, and slowly, he focused back into reality. But truly, was it reality? Mist filled the room, covering his feet, then his torso, then it consumed all of him within the thick fog. The walls seemed to shift, then, to evaporate entirely. Around him, pueblo turned to the blackest of stone, and light to dark. All within a short moment.

_'…What?!'_ Ganondorf took a step back, as his scared eyes darted into the Mists of Confusion. "What…a dream…a dream!" He proclaimed, "It's a dream, it's…not…real…" But surely, the cold floor beneath his feet felt real. Surely, the solitary bead of sweat on his brow felt real. Surely…his fear felt real. 

__

"Ganondorf…"

"That voice…" Within the darkness, Ganondorf's fiery eyes shone with fear. He took another step backwards.

__

"Can you see me, Ganondorf?

Why do you ignore me?"

The voice stung Ganondorf's mind, especially when it spoke his name. It was the dream exploitation of Kaysho. _'The dream Kaysho…the other him…no! The fake him! Fake! Fake!' _Ganondorf kept telling himself over and over, as he groped through the blackness until his hands found one of the walls. But he suddenly stopped, and stood perfectly still, listening. _'The fake him!'_ The only noise that came from him was the pounding of his heart, and heavy breathing…the Sound of Trepidation.

__

"No, dearest Ganondorf. I'm the real thing."

His heart stopped. Over his deep pant, Ganondorf could hear a sound. The most frightful sound he had ever heard.

__

"Heh…"

"S-ss-top it-t…." Ganondorf pleaded. The voice, the other Kaysho, was snickering. An evil, yet joyful voice. A voice who found innocence and serenity within it's own vile indulgence. The dream Kaysho's snicker turned to a laugh. "S-s-top it!" Ganondorf cried out again, now with his back against the wall. The voice was toying with his mind like it were as simple as a grain of sand.

__

"He-he….What a foolish boy!"

Ganondorf's heavy breaths stopped. The mist around him suddenly started to move, on it's own, move away from him. "Over…please let it be over…" He prayed, his voice a dry whisper. Ganondorf turned to face the wall, and leaned his weight against it; his legs felt as if they'd been enclosed in a sarcophagus for decades. But it wasn't over, but in fact far from.

All pieces of sanity that were left in the room drifted away from Ganondorf, and formed a mass on the other side of the room. It formed a familiar outline…the outline of Kaysho.

__

"See? Here I am."

Ganondorf broke down. The voice, the images, it burned his mind…

__

'Kaysho…Kaysho Kay-sho….I've heard that somewhere before…'

"STOP IT!" Ganondorf screamed out. He screamed, cried, pulled at his hair, prayed to forgotten Gods of long ago. "You're not real! Y-you….you're a lie! A LIE!" He shouted at the figure, "Lies! A lie…" trembling, he blacked into the corner what was left of the room.

The figure looked at him oddly, as a person would when they raised their eyebrows at another. It suddenly smirked, showing off canine fangs. 

__

"A lie?

I tell no lies.

The day is coming…."

"D-d-day…?" Ganondorf asked with a unsteady voice. "You're lying! You're not Kaysho! YOU'RE NOT KAYSHO!!"

__

"But I am…"

"NO! You're not Kaysho! My Kaysho…"

__

"Silence!"

Ganondorf held his tougne, in fear, and fell to the ground. The dream Kaysho lowered it's pitch, and the image lowered it's head.

__

"I am he, the one called Kaysho."

I am the Morning and the Evening Star.

I am Elohim.

I am the Hidden Phoenix.

I am Zion.

My day is coming…

The day **will** come…"

"You're not…" Ganondorf whispered to himself. Kaysho's Twin Star walked over to him. Ganondorf tried to pull away, but alas, he was backed into the corner of the room. "Stop it! Demon!" Ganondorf cried out, in a cold sweat.

Kaysho's Twin Star grinned, and placed his face against Ganondorf's, and whispered into his ear.

__

"I shall destroy the world."

It vanished. Everything vanished. In the blink of an eye, Ganondorf was back in the reality that he recognized. He was in the corner of a room, an empty room. Empty except for him. He nervously looked around, and slumped to the ground. "A dream…a dream…" he told himself over and over again, as he wrapped his arms around his legs uneasily.

"…Master?"

A noise of fear escaped Ganondorf's throat, as he looked up to see who called him. In the doorway of the room stood Kaysho. Normal, small, fragile, concerned Kaysho.

"Master?" He repeated, "I heard you…" Kaysho made a face of worry. He had never seen Ganondorf so afraid in all the years he had known him. Kaysho started to walked over to him…just as his Twin Star had done.

Ganondorf looked up at him, unsure whether to fear or embrace the keaton that stood in front of him.

Kaysho sat down in front of Ganondorf. "…Don't be afraid." He said quietly.

Ganondorf looked up, "…what?"

"Don't be afraid." Kaysho repeated, "…Because I'm here to share the fear with you."

Ganondorf trembled, "Oh, Kaysho…" He wrapped his arms around Kaysho, and started to cry.

Kaysho rested his head on his master's shoulder, and let him weep, and weep still, for as long as he wanted.

"O, Kaysho…" Ganondorf managed to whisper, in-between his shivering and tears, "Make it go away…"

****

Shout aloud, O Kaysho! Child of Zion!


	8. The Pillar

Day VIII

****

The Pillar.

"Just a dream."

The dream never visited Ganondorf again. The only scar it left him with was a night of dreamless sleep…hours of dreamless silence.

Kaysho dreamed, but he dreamed of other things. Of Goddesses, of endless waters, of Ganondorf, of red. They were neither good or bad dreams…just visions.

"Hey, Kaysho…" Ganondorf asked his companion, one afternoon. He was sitting on the floor of the very first level of the temple, leaning against a statue. The statue depicted an ancient god, with the head of a jackal. 

"Yes?" Kaysho replied a second later, and lifted his head to face Ganondorf, and the jackal god.

"If you…" Ganondorf paused, trying to figure out how to ask what was on his mind, "What would you do…if you could change the world?" Ganondorf leaned forward from the statue, and rested his elbows on his knees.

"Change the world?" Kaysho asked, "It is not mine to change. Besides, I have a good life here. The world is yours to change, not mine." Kaysho said with a content nod, then smiled.

"Mine?" Ganondorf asked.

"You are the heir to a throne, are you not?" Kaysho stated, and lifted his ears.

"Well…yes," Ganondorf admitted, "But I won't make a good king…a boy can only do so much."

"Nonsense!" Kaysho argued, and sat up, "You take good care of me…you lead me. It's the same as that. A king takes good care of his subjects."

Ganondorf paused, then averted his eyes to the ground, "That's because I care about you."

Kaysho blinked, "eh….Thank you." He said, slightly confused. What Kaysho didn't realize from Ganondorf's tone, what that he implied that he did _not_ care about his future subjects. They were on the other side of the wall inside his mind. He, his soul, and Kaysho on one side. The world on the other.

__

"I believe…"

Kaysho dreamt. He had fallen asleep in front of the fireplace as usual, while tonight, Ganondorf stayed awake in the long hours of the night, going through his books and studies. Something about the ancient stories intrigued him, even more so than the more modern books of sorcery. In the late darkness of the night, he'd read of the Gerudo Goddess of the Sand, and even further back, into scrolls no over library or temple contained. 

__

"No one can stop my turning…"

Kaysho dreamed on, as Ganondorf read. Ancient stories of Horus, Ra, Anubis, and other deities. The riddling creature called the Sphinx, the Tome of Eternal Darkness, the Dragon of Heaven and the Dragon of Earth. He probably would have read through the darkness of every night, if sleep hadn't found him first.

__

"No matter how you try to hold me…"

That night, Ganondorf dug deeper through the stacks of scrolls, and shelves full of dusty books. "All too new…" He mumbled to himself in discontent, and dug deeper into the Papyri stacks. He'd reached the bottom of the pile, when one scroll caught his eye. Before him was a deep, dirty tanned color scroll, and from the looks of it, was literally falling apart. It was tied with a red string, from the looks of it, it was perhaps the oldest scroll in the Spirit Temple. '_I wonder why I've never seen this before,_' He though, '_Although…it isn't very appealing to the eye._' He reached over, and touched the crinkled papyrus, feeling with his fingers for the tie of the string.

__

"Kaysho!"

From across the room, in front of the fireplace, a voice called to Kaysho in his sleep. He gasped a little, and instantly lifted his head. _'Someone calling to me…'_ He thought.

Facing opposite of Kaysho, and unbeknownst that he had awoken, Ganondorf reached for the bright red string on the ancient scroll, and started to gradually pull on it, to slip the knot tied tight many years ago.

__

"Kaysho!"

"The one called Kaysho!"

Kaysho, half sleepily stood up, and looked to the doorway, wondering if it was Kotake calling to him, or perhaps Koume. He stepped out of the room, and started down the hallway and up a circular flight of stairs, following the voice.

**__**

"Kaysho!"

Ganondorf, blinked, then put the scroll down again. _'How stupid of me…'_ He thought, and looked at the red string again, _'Red string means medicine…black is magic…white is legends.'_ He set the scroll down, very slowly. For some strange reason…the papyri suddenly seemed very heavy. He blinked once, '_Very heavy…for so thin a thing.'_

"Come forth, the one called Kaysho!"

Higher and higher Kaysho followed, and the voice became louder, and more commanding. "Come! Come Forth!" It shouted at him. When it shouted, Kaysho jumped a little, and started to walk faster. Eventually, he was running around the corners, through the corridors, and up the stairwells, his paws scratching against the titled floor and his body brushing up against the sandstone walls.

**__**

"Show thyself!"

Kaysho reached the highest heights of the temple, and walked into a large room. The floor, the walls, the ceiling, they were all written on in the same strange, ancient language he'd seen on the mirror. There was no place uncovered with the symbols, all in a absolute perfect geometric order, not one out of place by even a millimeter. The room was huge, running to one end then back again could easily make a human tired. The ceiling was extremely high, and matched the walls so that the room created the shape of a flawless cube. Inside was a disturbing sense of nothing, and all was quiet. But Kaysho looked down and saw that a man made stream stretched through the room, cut into the cold tile beneath his feet. The stream started on the left side of the room, went through the middle, formed a square, then exited on the right side of the room. The stream came in strait lines that fitted into the tiled grid that he stood on. The square of water in the exact midpoint of the floor made the floor inside the square of water seem like a small island. And in the exact middle of the island, stood a lone pillar.

Kaysho was intrigued by the entire room, because of it's silence, and it's perfection. And because of the lone pillar. Every step he took towards it echoed, a soft sound from his small paws. He walked over to the pillar, then circled it a couple of times. _'It's beautiful!'_ He thought, _'But so strange, too.'_ He encircled it once more, till he was facing the side he's started at. Kaysho sat down in his puzzlement, and Looked into the deep, gleaming pillar. It looked to be made of Hematite. It too, like the walls, was in tune with the geometric perfection of the room. The pillar was a prefect rectangle on each side, and on each side were also lines and lines of strange symbols. Kaysho bent down a little, and started looking at the strange symbols. One after another, each more unusual looking than the other. He'd seen Ganondorf reading this strange language once, and could only wonder how.

"…Ah!" Kaysho said suddenly, and took a step back. There they were again. The same symbols on the bottom of the mirror…the same three emotively familiar symbols. They stood right in front of his face, and he stared at them for a while, not moving from his spot. Just sitting and staring. Then, something inside his mind screamed at him, compelling him to slowly raise his paw. The screaming in his head that he couldn't make sense of kept raising his paw higher and higher, until he was holding it right above the three symbols. Kaysho blinked, and the screaming left him, and he remembered nothing of it. '_Should…I?'_ He wondered, and stared even further into the pillar. Kaysho's curiosity got the got the best of him, and he slowly set the pads of his paw down on the cold metal. He felt the pattern of the symbols, deeply carved into the pillar…the very cold pillar. _'So cold!'_ Kaysho thought, and quickly took his paw away. Or so he thought.

Ganondorf had found himself another story to read. Though his mind occasionally drifted back to the scroll, what really distracted him was the distinct feeling he felt. He felt that something wasn't right.

Kaysho's paw wouldn't move from the cold, smooth surface. _'Is it frozen?'_ he thought naively, _'But nothing can freeze that fast, can it?'_ He yanked and pulled and desperately tried to pull his paw away from the strange characters that were beneath his paws, and the cold pillar. The cold pillar that was starting to grow warmer. Kaysho finally wrenched his paw away from the surface, and sighed in relief, then looked over at where it had been stuck. His instantly became silent, and his ears stood strait up. Kaysho's narrow, slit eyes grew wide. "…No." he mumbled softly.

The three characters on the pillar were glowing, glowing a bright sky blue, that could almost be considered white. Kaysho took a step back, into the now thick air. A light mist was coming from the letters, and was starting to fill the room, from the center out. The letters started to glow brighter, and reflected themselves in Kaysho's wide eyes…in his pupils. Never before had the world seen…that deadly black which lay within a keaton.

"What?" Ganondorf whispered suddenly, though no one was there to hear him. He looked down at what he'd been writing…his pen had snapped, and the ink from the bottle spilled all over the canvas he was writing on. It reminded him of blood. _'What was that…?'_ Ganondorf thought, and set the pen down, _'I thought I heard something. Did I hear…?'_

"Who are you…?" Kaysho asked of the glowing pillar, confused, afraid…and vulnerable.

**__**

"Show Thyself, O Morning and Evening Star!"


	9. I love you

Day IX

I love you.

__

"Do you really think your master can save you?"

_'Kaysho…?'_ Ganondorf asked himself, and he started to hear his heartbeat. It beat slowly. "…Kaysho?" He turned around, and looked where Kaysho used to lay, on the carpet. Gone. He stared at the blood red carpet, and in his mind, he saw it as blood itself. A piercing scream ran through his head. "Ah!" It screamed and screamed and ordered his hands to his ears. Blood trickled from his ears, before his hands could reach them. "Kaysho!" Ganondorf shouted in alarm, let his arms fall, then started to bolt up the stairs. The scream became louder, closer, deeper, and droned away his beating footsteps, as he threw himself up stairwells and slammed into walls while wandering through the endless corridors. It might of hurt, but he didn't care. Because every time he saw that flashing image of blood…the pile of blood…the ghastly pain from his own mind was even worse. _'Kaysho laying in that pile of blood…'_

"The person from the mirror…" Kaysho murmured to himself. But he said no more, for then, it attacked.

Ganondorf stumbled, then fell into the huge, cold room in which Kaysho and the pillar lay. He looked up, and then shakily got to his feet. The mist parted before him, and slowly the dark room became clear. "Oh my God…" he whispered, couldn't help but make his hands into fists and shout at the top of his lungs. He shouted at loud as he could, because it seemed this might be the last time he would ever be able to call out this word. "KAYSHO!"

From within that pillar, came the same spirit that lurked within the mirror that was, like the pillar, a secret buried deep within the Spirit Temple. All at once a thick mist came out of the pillar, then dove into the waters of the tiled stream that ran through the room. As if it had possessed those waters and breathed life into them, the stream rose from it's resting sport, and together, with the spirit and the fog, formed and strange, delusional figure. It's eyes were hollow, soulless, and were a color that blended well with the rest of it's misty body. It held out his hands in a position, as if it were holding something larger and round in it's hands, then looked down at Kaysho.

__

Are you the one who I'll paint in blood, little Keaton?

Kaysho shuddered as it spoke, and took a step back from the icy voice. He dared not look at the creature, and hung his head, "…Who…w-who are you?"  
The creature merely drew closer to Kaysho, grabbed hold of him, and ran his hands, if you could call them hands, across Kaysho's back. It whispered gleefully,

__

I am what you see. Look at me.

"Oh great spirit, I dare not!" Kaysho whimpered as loud as he could, as if he were an imperial guard being ordered by an Emperor. Kaysho, along with all keatons, were whimsical creatures of sorts, and instinctively know the consequences of offending spirits. When the form touched him, he shuddered and wept out of disgust, and out of fear. It and drew closer to him, and smiled gleefully. Upon glance one would think that it was the smile of a playful child, but upon second look, a sadistic grin hid within the glee.

__

Look at me. **Look at me!**

Kaysho yipped and pulled away from him, "Oh spirit, I dare not!!" Kaysho repeated. The spirit kept smiling, but seemed to grow delusional. It drew away from Kaysho, then raised it's hand a bit. In time with the spirit's hand, the little trembling keaton rose from the ground. "Ahh…AH!" Kaysho cried out in fear, "No, please, let go!! Let go of me!" 

"Leave him be!" Ganondorf spoke up, suddenly. He seemed surprised at himself first, but slowly felt the fear draining from him, so took a cautious two steps forward. "Let him go…Kaysho's…never done anything wrong!"

The spirit paused, then turned to face Ganondorf. Kaysho instantly dropped to the ground, and made a thud when he hit the rigid tile. The spirit instead raised it's other hand, and this time Ganondorf rose from the ground. He trembled at first, then wobbled around in the air, trying to break free. The spirit's grin faded a little.

__

…A Gerudo boy. What a misfit.

Ganondorf paused, "…I…" He trembled again, and looked down. He realized that his resistance only made the spirit raise him higher. Ganondorf's face slowly twisted into anger, such anger Kaysho had never seen. The Gerudo boy looked up at the spirit , and snarled, "Go back to hell and leave us alone!"

**__**

"Of hell and earth there is no dividing wall."  


The spirit said that, then seemed to be laughing at Ganondorf. But no sound came from his mouth. Just the image of laughter. All at once, light vanished from the room. The spirit's laughter started to become audible, then turned into an enraged screeching. All at once Ganondorf was slammed into a wall, and broken chips of tile spread about him, cutting his flesh and clanging against the floor. Kaysho shrieked and yelped as he was lifted off the ground, and brought all the way up to the ceiling. Only then to be dropped to the ground and to land with a sickening thud and crack. The spirit laughed, in an innocent tone, then stood tall. Ganondorf lost consciousness, but Kaysho remained just barely awake, shivering, lost in the darkness. 

For hours alone, lost in the darkness.

"Master….!" Kaysho finally tried to call out, into the darkness of the room. The only light that shone was not a pleasant one. He slowly looked up to it, the light of that dark spirit, that one who was of the beyond.

__

Foolish keaton…

Kaysho quieted, and started into the full, empty eyes of the light of hell.

__

Do you really think your master can save you?

Kaysho shivered in fright, but answered without any hesitation. "Yes."

__

Stupid keaton.

Do you really think your master can save you…

From himself?


	10. Kaysho

****

Day X

Kaysho.

__

'Are you the one who I'll paint in blood, little Keaton?'

Slowly, Ganondorf opened his eyes, to wearily view the destruction that surrounded him. The room lay in ruin; shattered tiles scattered about the floor and floating lazily through the stream. Slowly, he staggered from his resting spot against the wall, and crawled away from it, on his knees. "…Kaysho." He mumbled inattentively, then lifted his head and started to search for the keaton. Kaysho was easily spotted, surrounded a red pool of bloody water, the only color in the room that truly stood apart. The keaton lay with his tails on the dry tile, his middle in the water, and his head resting on the other side of the tiled stream. The blood spread into the water, and created a dark, wet cloud surrounding Kaysho. "…Kaysho!" Ganondorf breathed, then slowly stumbled to his feet, and hobbled over to his friend. "Kaysho…" he repeated quietly, then gingerly picked Kaysho up. Kaysho did not stir, nor speak. Like a time only three years before, Ganondorf took the quiet creature away in his arms. Like three years before, he laid him before a warm fire, and wrapped his shaking body in a blood red cloak.

__

"He-he….What a foolish boy!"

"See? Here I am."

"A lie?

I tell no lies."

Ganondorf finally lay down onto the floor, and looked over at Kaysho. Both the keaton and his own wounds were bandaged. Kaysho had a slash across his entire middle, red swollen marks across his necks. As if something tried to rip his throat in two. His body was scattered with jagged cuts, his tails each his it's share of shredded patches of Kaysho's once beautiful, golden, silky fur. As for himself, Ganondorf had a deep slash across his arm, and a strange cut on his left cheek. He remembered seeing it in his reflection in the stream, while he bent down to pick up Kaysho. It seemed to be shaped like something. He took rather appalling care of his own wounds. He slapped clean water on them, then wrapped some bandages around his arm, and that was that. But with little Kaysho, he took the greatest care. Still Kaysho did not stir, nor speak.

Kaysho slowly opened his eyes, and dragged himself off the floor, shakily to his feet. He paused, then blinked and took a look around. _'Blurry…'_ he thought, as he looked down at the soil beneath his feet. It had a light, almost sky blue tint to it, and was as soft as the finest grained sand, or as silk, except for the strange rock-like formations that rose from the earth, like crystal shrubbery. "…ah!" Kaysho said at once, and shook himself from sleepy haze, "Dirt….? Rocks? But I was inside…" He looked up to the sky, only to find that there wasn't one. Strange flog that might pass for clouds shrouded the entire area, leaving a strange misty cool feeling, in an place that looked to be in the middle of a foreign wasteland. Only, to his side, was a shore, and beyond that, a sea of dark water, as far as the eye could see. Kaysho walked over the shore of sorts, then sighed and looked out at the waters, and watched them ripple. They rippled and stirred every so slightly, even though nothing stirred about them, nor was there any wind to aid them.

Ganondorf sat in thought, every once in a while looking down at Kaysho's motionless body. _'I hope he's okay…'_ Ganondorf thought, then sighed, and looked around the room. He paused, and wondered what had exactly happened to them. _'A spirit? Demon, more like. But how…?'_ He pondered most on that question, how. Suddenly, a thought came to mind. Completely irrelevant, his mind pictured that scroll, tired down with the red string. He shrugged the thought away, but it kept coming back, like the soul of a slave haunting his master. Kaysho did not stir, nor speak.

_'My wounds are gone…_' Kaysho finally observed, as he looked down upon himself. _'….Impossible._' He paused, then sighed and looked down at the water beneath his feet, then yipped and took a step back. The reflection was Ganondorf's, and not his own. Kaysho paused, then lifted a paw. On command, the reflection raised his hand. Kaysho sighed, and looked out into the waters again, with a desperate plea in his eyes. He sighed, then opened his eyes, and again narrowed then a little, so just a slit of the powerful blue could be seen. He looked to the waters out of the corner of his eyes; in trying to hide his grief, his face appeared drained and pouty. "From his lips came a quiet cry, "….Am I awake? …Am I in the land of the dead?

….Am I real?"

Ganondorf slowly opened his eyes and stared at the wall, cold and , glaring at nothing. Again, the image of the scroll lashed at his mind. _'It is nothing…'_He hissed to either himself, or something else within him, _'…I'll show you. It is nothing.'_ He stood up, and looked down at Kaysho, making sure he was warm. He covered Kaysho with his cloak, then left the room, and quietly closed the door behind him. He silently strode though the halls, down a flight of stairs; he could have done it with his eyes closed, if only asked to do so. He walked into another room, with it's candle still burning, walked past the bookshelves, and reached for the scroll he'd left on the ground. Then sighed, sat down on the red carpet, he reached for the red string, and was about to open it when his finger slowed. His hand seemed to have realized what it was truly touching—the string was not red, but white, reddened by a thick coat a dry blood.

Ganondorf paused to breathe, and stared at the string for a moment. _'It is nothing.'_ He repeated his words, then pulled the string lose and tossed it aside. He opened the scroll, took one short look…then let it fall from his hands into his lap. His hands shook, as if trying to tell his eyes to stop starting upon it, to stop reading it. But his eyes did not move, nor did they blink, and un-relentlessly he looked down upon the dried papyri, the black ink, the ancient Gerudo figures. His hands gave up and fell to his sides. A single tear, either from grief or shock, fell from his eye, swam across the odd-shaped cut on his cheek, and fell off his chin and landed on the scroll. And all the while, Kaysho never stirred nor spoke.

**** __

"Only for one shall everything fall.

History shall turn to legend,

And legend to Myth…

And then the day will come.

He will choose if life is to exist.

The land will cower,

Every tree and stone.

The for the day will come.

When the earth is his…

****

And his alone.

Because only for one will everything collapse.

One will reach for the goal, Zion,

That he might receive the prize.

That prized beautiful hatred.

Because only for one shall the heavens fall.

One will search, go mad, then search again.

Will he search for God?

Or a forgotten friend?

For only one can end us all.

Only that cursed spirit,

Most gentle of all.

Only for demons,

Will that graceful spirit sing.

****

Kaysho!

Rise, O Daughter of Zion!

The day has begun,

These spirits search for each other.

Rise, O Kaysho! Hidden Phoenix!

The One shall rise from the ashes,

The sky alight in his flame.

But his swallowed up partner…

Will he be the same?

Shout aloud, O Kaysho! Child of Zion!

O, mortal born with wings!

Fly over the clouds of the earth

The hill called Zion

The mountain tops, the river banks,

Kurenai.

Soar over the sleepy rooftops of Jerusalem,

Over the mighty castle walls 

Of the land of the goddesses,

Over the sands that scream out, 'death, death, and death.'

Fly upon thy wings like a dragon.

Because while you fly, horrible things happen on the earth below you.

The evils of Babylon scorch the earth.

Do you know why, O Kaysho?

Wings

Fly, O Kaysho, fly to your fate.

Fate

Soar, O Kaysho, through that black cloud…

Which is thy fate.

To Kaysho,

Men will fall.

To Kaysho, 

The end of all.

To Kaysho,

The smallest of all.

He, the cursed, the one called Kaysho.

****

He shall destroy the world.

Rise, Fly, Kill, then Perish, O Kaysho.

For you shall destroy the world.

****

Kurenai."

Kaysho still looked out into the waters, deep beyond knowledge. From them, a voice screamed. Kaysho did not stir, nor speak.

Ganondorf jumped to his feet and back away from the scroll, till his back collided with the wall. He stared at it for a second longer. "…NO!" He covered his eyes, then slammed himself into the door and ran down the hall. He bolted up stairwells, down halls, then stopped in dead sweat. He'd come upon the tiled room. "ah..aah…" Ganondorf stumbled back, then shakily turned around and started running another way. He stopped again suddenly, then fell down a staircase, just to avoid the spot where'd he'd seen the dream Kaysho, the other Kaysho. Kaysho's twin star; was it just a dream now? He cried out and lifted himself back to his feet, then kept running. He eventually passed the room with the mirror inside it, but didn't stop to give it any mind. He didn't notice that when he passed it, the reflection was of Kaysho's, and not his.

At last, he reached the roof of the Spirit Temple, and coughed from running, only to breathe in cold air that burned like lungs like an icy flame. Ganondorf stared up into the stars, then let himself fall backwards. He collapsed against the cold limestone that made the roof of the Spirit Temple, and he stared up into the abyss.

For hours alone, lost in the darkness.


	11. The beast and the girl

Day XI

The beast and the girl.

'Why does the water ripple…' the keaton thought,_ '…if there is nothing to make it do so? …This place…it's cold.'_ He sighed again, and stood up, stretching his legs a bit. He surveyed the area yet again, then looked down at the ground. Suddenly, a noise. Kaysho's ears stood strait up. It was merely the sound of a droplet of water falling into the large body of water, only a single drop. But it echoed throughout the emptiness and through his ears, and almost seemed to make the ground beneath his feet vibrate. "Who…who's there?" He turned around to face the water, and stared at it. No more than 10 feet from the surface, the water started to ripple, then bubble. From that it grew, a raging parasite from the surface of the quiet sea.

"Don't be foolish." It said, all at once. It was a soft voice, calm, but a deceiving. It was a sound that was soft, but so cold it made Kaysho shudder. The voice from the pillar and the mirror.

Kaysho stared at it, and pressed his paws closer together, nervously. _'Again?' _He thought, "What…?" He shuddered, and lowered his head, "O Spirit! …Who are you?!"

More and more it grew, surrounding itself within water. "You know...who I am." It replied simply. The embodiment from which the spirit's voice came had forced itself to rise far above the rest of the water. Then…it's waters started to fall, fall back into the sea below it. And the remains started to etch a figure in the water. A skinny young man, not very tall, not muscular, almost sickly thin. Long ears, and hair…long, gorgeous hair that fell beneath his feet and covered his face. This time, not tied back, and he wore nothing, and at the same time, there was nothing that needed clothing to cover. It's image was complete, in the water, as it smirked at Kaysho, and ran it's hands through it's own hair.

"…You…" Kaysho whispered, wide-eyed, as tried to step away from the water's edge, but his legs would not obey.

The spirited smirked, rose it's head, and looked down at Kaysho, his eyes alight. Burning red, orange, the golden yellow of a wolf's eyes, and the color of blood. The pupil smaller than the slit of a snake's eye. The beast in it's truest form.

Ganondorf remained perfectly silent as he re-entered the room where Kaysho lay, on the rug in front of the fire. The words repeated themselves through Ganondorf's head, the words written on the scroll. He looked down at Kaysho, and at his wounds. _'Destroy the world….Kaysho? …Never…'_ He made a face, _'He's so little…heh, and naive…Kaysho can't……he won't.'_ He looked over at Kaysho, _'I won't let him know…that's it…I won't.'_ Ganondorf stood up, then looked out the window, "Of all people that should discover this secret…this stupid prophecy…Kaysho shall be the last." He seemed to glare at the starry sky, "I'll do all I can to see…that Kaysho will never know. Kaysho shall be the last."

"Heh…" The spirit , and looked down at Kaysho, then went to him.

Kaysho stared at the figure coming towards him…there was something different in the beast's eyes now, but he couldn't taste what it was.

"Welcome." It said calmly, as it stood before Kaysho, glaring down at him with fangs barred. The demon moved his hands towards Kaysho, oddly groping the air for a moment, "Kay…" the demon's flesh met his the fur on Kaysho's tender cheeks.

A shiver ran from the tip of Kaysho's ears to the ends of his tails. This was no ordinary spirit; for it could take a tangible form. It's hands were cold…but smooth, seductive. It stopped. All was silent, and the water stood still. The demon's pupils grew thin and it's eyes wide. It's quivered, and it started down at the keaton in utmost loathing. "….get out." It whispered, a shrill hiss.  
  
Ganondorf sat down next to Kaysho, staring blankly at the fire. From next to him, he could have sworn that he heard a shiver. He whipped his head around, and looked down at Kaysho.

  
Kaysho shook with freight, "….What…? Who…what's happening-"

"**_GET OUT!!!_**" It shrieked, a sound so horrible that blood spew from Kaysho's ears and he cried out in agony. But the beast didn't care; he roughly pushed Kaysho away from him, then held out his right arm. The demon hissed, and all at once Kaysho was thrown back by an unseen force, without the demon even having to touch him.

"Acch!" Kaysho smashed into one of the crystal structures, shattering it and sending the pieces floating through the unstable air. They dug into his skin, all across his back and on the pads of his feet, as he tried to get back to his feet.  
The demon glared at Kaysho, the fires of hell alight in his eyes. He screamed, then sent Kaysho flying away again, hitting a large rock and pushing the crystals further into his body. "Where is he?! WHERE IS HE?!" The spirit demanded of Kaysho. It disappeared from sight, then reappeared directly in front of him and nearly touching noses with Kaysho, delirious with rage. "**Why are YOU here?!** **Where is he?!**" It screeched, "**Where is the Morning and the Evening Star?!**"

Kaysho gaped at the beast, completely bewildered. "What are you talking about…? Star?"

This seemed to only make the demon angrier. He wrapped his hands around Kaysho's neck, then rose him high into the air, and in his anger, he violently shook the keaton. "**Stupid Keaton! STUPID KEATON!**" It shouted. He screamed out in the painfully shrill voice, then screamed and screamed again. Anger overtook the demon's whole being. From his hands; on each finger, the delicate finger nails started to grow. They slid along Kaysho's fir, and pinched his neck. They grew, longer and longer, then wider, thicker, black. The grotesque claws tightened around Kaysho neck, spewing the keaton's pure blood all over the demon's body: down in arms, in his hair, on his face.

Kaysho screamed out in pain, pain so much greater than any he'd ever felt before. He could feel himself dying, his body going numb, the world slowly turning a dark shade of gray. He cried and screamed and tried to breathe, and tried to look away from the horrible evil before him.

But no matter how much Kaysho cried, the beast would not cease. "**WHERE IS THE MORNING AND THE EVENING STAR?!?**"

Ganondorf gasped down at Kaysho, who's wounds had started to bleed again, and it started to soak through the bandages. "What in hell…?!" Ganondorf whispered, then got to his feet. The keaton suddenly started to convulse, fresh cuts appeared across his back, and his from his neck blood flowed anew. "Shit…shit…" Ganondorf mumbled to himself, trying to think faster. '_Kaysho...good god, what's happening to him?! …I can't help him alone…I need help…he needs help! Who….Who?!_' He looked upwards, then quickly back down, '_No…Koume, Kotake…..I don't trust them. Who.…who else knows about Kaysho…'_ he looked down at Kaysho, hesitating, '_….Nabooru…she saw him. He spoke to her. She's smart……! Her Mother!_' Ganondorf hesitated again, but then quickly grabbed his blood-stained cloak and scooped Kaysho up in it. He carried the keaton outside, then hailed down his horse and set Kaysho carefully on the saddle, then jumped on and picked Kaysho up again. With one arm he held the keaton, and with the other the reins, as the horse sped off into the desert. Which, besides a warm, light wind, was for once very still. 

'_I'm dying…_' Kaysho thought, looking at the foggy black world around him, everything blurred into strange shapes.  
The spirit stood beside him with his arms crossed, now very calm. Watching Kaysho die seemed to soothe his rage.

Kaysho lay on the ground, now no longer in the strange world. Everything above him was black, and empty. The spirit was standing on top of dark waters, as if it were as solid as rock. Kaysho, too, he lay upon it, but was slowly sinking. He rolled over and looked up at the spirit, gaping for air as he spoke. "…I am…aren't I?"

The demon's mouth curved into a smirk, "Yes. You're dying, keaton. Your beloved master…he's trying to save you. But I doubt you'll make it."  
Kaysho listened to his words, and they brought a small tears to his eyes. He sunk lower into the waters, half drenched. Half dead.

Ganondorf rode on, not stopping for anything, praying that Kaysho would make it. Why hadn't he thought of it before? Nabooru's mother was Nefyret, a healer. Though they'd never met, if anyone could help, it would be her. With that one ray of hope, Ganondorf rode on, praying, praying.

The spirit again seemed calmed from watching Kaysho crying, while he slowly slipped into death. "Do you know what these waters are, little keaton?" he asked Kaysho. "It is the Sea Beneath the Earth, a vast and endless water underneath your worldly realm. This water," the spirit grinned, "every time a mortal sheds a tear, it falls to the ground and sinks beneath the earth, and ends up here. Beneath is the Land of the Dead, and all who die pass through these waters, made of every tear every mortal has ever shed."

Kaysho listened, but remained quiet. After a long silence, he looked up at the demon again. "…Tell me…" Kaysho thought aloud, his last whim, "…who are you?"

Ganondorf rode through the gates and into the fortress, then abruptly stopped his steed. He dismounted and took Kaysho, now with both arms, and dashed towards the pueblos, and to the lights coming from the open frames that served as windows. He dashed up a hill, unsure of which house it was…a guard was still on duty. Ganondorf ran over to her, and blurted, "Which house is Nefyret's?! Lady Nefyret's, which one?!"

The bewildered woman blinked and pointed towards one of the larger pueblos. Three stories high, and built into the cliff itself. "Uh…that one, Prince…" She answered, confused.

He darted in that direction with Kaysho, then skidded to a stop in front of the door and banged against the door, not taking time to even calm down. After a short moment, which seemed like forever to him, he reached to bang on the door again. But before his knuckled could hit the wood, the door slowly opened, and light from inside poured out. The door stopped halfway open, and a bewildered Nabooru stared at Ganondorf.

The demon paused, then his smirked widened; he seemed amused. He stood tall, then completely disappeared. And after he did, a left behind voice answered, "I am…The Beast of Deceit." 


	12. The healer

Day XII

The healer.

"Well…what is it, child?" Came a tired voice from behind Nabooru. She blinked, and stepped out of the way. An older woman approached the door, taller than Nabooru but just slightly shorter than Ganondorf, with hair that was rose-red and skin darkened over time and age. Nefyret looked down at Ganondorf and at once realized who he was; she seemed to have to force herself not to let her face show the words that were on the tip of her tongue. She took in a deep breath of the night air, then slowly looked down to the thing that was in Gaondorf's arms. She too blinked, then looked back up at him inquiringly, "What is it that you need…little Prince?"

"Kaysho!" Ganondorf burst out, then uncovered Kaysho's bloody forehead to show to the women. Nabooru's mouth hung open a little, and Nefyret just stared.

Nabooru opened her mouth to say something, but before she could find words, her mother took a step forward and gave Ganondorf an annoyed look, "I heal people, not animals, Prince! Take your dog somewhere else."  
"There is nowhere else!!" Ganondorf exclaimed, surprising himself more than the other two, "You have to help!"  
Nefyret's eyes glowed with anger, "I told you, it's not my job! Take it somewhere else!"  
"He'll die!!" Ganondorf shouted back at her, "I…Please!" He begged, which surprised them both, "I'll give you anything! …I'll give you everything I own!"  
Nefyret remained silent this time. Nabooru stared at Ganondorf, her eyes fearfully bright, like those of a lioness.   
"I'll give you all my riches, everything!! I'll servant for you! Please! Just help him!!!" He pleaded, and took a step closer to them, "If you want the moon and the sun, I'll say it, and it shall be so! Just help Kaysho!"

Nefyret stared at him, taken aback, then down at Kaysho, and wondered how he could love something this much, or someone. Could she even love her only daughter that much? But still, she hardened her heart, and stood tall, "….No, my Prince." She said quietly.

Nabooru whipped her head around to stare up at Nefyret, "Mother! Wh-"  
"Be still!" Nefyret snapped at Nabooru.

Ganondorf stared at Nefyret, then looked down at Kaysho. He shook, and held Kaysho closer to his heart. '_Is this all I can do…? No…there must be…_' He's eyes widened, alight with a flaming red. He stared up at Nefyret, then slowly rose to his full height. Long legs and arms offset by strong shoulders and a manly hands. And his unkept hair, which hadn't touched a blade in years; it now fell onto his shoulders and grazed his back. He held his head high, and softly proclaimed the most regretful words, "…I order you."

"What?" Nefyret demanded, and raised her eyebrows.

"I order you too help him. Do it." Ganondorf commanded. His first commandment.

Nefyret stared at him, in a mix of anger and fear, but more than anything else, rage. She paused, then, lip twitching, then slowly bowed her head, "As…you wish. Prince." Determined not to look at him, Nefyret slowly took the bundle from Ganondorf's arms, then turned around and walked inside. "Nabooru," She mumbled, "Show….our guest…inside."  
Nabooru looked over at Ganondorf, then walked inside, took by the door. He hesitated, then stepped inside, and she closed the door behind him. The night was silent again.

Nefyret carried Kaysho to a spare room and set him down on a bed that was normally used for her regular patients. Nabooru led Ganondorf down the tight hallway, and they both absent-mindedly stopped to watch Nefyret for a moment. Nabooru shook herself back into reality, then murmured, "…Come…eat and rest." As was custom, then started to lead him farther into the home. 

"…No." He said softly, then walked into the spare room and sat on the floor, and watched Nefyret begin to work on Kaysho, muttering incantations and feeling his broken body. Ganondorf wouldn't take his eyes off of Nefyret and Kaysho, so Nabooru gave up and left the room. 

Up she went, up a stairway then again another, then a ladder to the roof. Nabooru stood on top of the pueblo, and stared up at the stars and the cliff side. She sighed, then sat down, and looked now at the desert sands. From her rooftop was an almost perfect panoramic view of the wastelands, which were oddly peaceful that night. Nabooru let her mind and wander as she stared at the night horizon; she folded her arms on her knees, and rested her head on top of her arms. Above her, the moon was bright, and it cast a dim light over the neglected lands of the Gerudo.

For hours alone, lost in the twilight.

Sometime later, in the middle of that night, another's footsteps were hear climbing the latter to the roof. Nabooru barely took it to notice as Ganondorf emerged from inside, and climbed to his feet. The tall Gerudo boy looked down at Nabooru for a moment, who didn't so much as move when he approached, then he looked to the stars. For a long time…he looked up at that bright Milky Way for a long time. Then Ganondorf sat down, merely a foot or two between and Nabooru. He folded his hands behind his head and lay back onto the roof, and let his legs hang over the edge. Finally, Nabooru slowly glanced towards him, then looked backup at the sky at lost herself again. He too starred into the stars until they'd stolen his mind from him, and only two lost souls remained. But tonight, the lost souls were not alone.

Wanderers lost in the Twilight.  



	13. Dahlia

Day XIII

Dahlia.

After hours lost, the braver of the two broke the silence. "What of Kaysho?" Nabooru asked, in a calm, low voice.

Ganondorf paused, taking a deep breath of the night air, "…Nef—your mother…she did the best she could…but I'll just have to wait to see…see if he'll last the night." He frowned, and closed his eyes.

Nabooru stared out at the sky for a minute longer, then looked back over at him, "It's a warm night."  
He opened his eyes suddenly, and looked up at her. A small smile grew on his face, a sad smile, but never-the-less a smile it was. "…Yea…a warm night." The smile faded some after and he let his eyes start to sink, but didn't allow them to close.

Nabooru turned back to the star-scattered sky, and sighed. "…I'm sorry. About her, that is."

Ganondorf blinked, "…What do you mean?"

"The way she acts." Nabooru said simply, then let her legs hang over the edge of the building "…She hates you."

"Hates me?" He paused, then sat up, and almost chuckled, "How could she hate me? We've barely even met…I don't think you'd even call that meeting…"

"She hates you for merely existing." Nabooru said coldly, and that silenced him. She hesitated, then continued quietly, "She hates you…for being born. If you hadn't been born, then I would have been heir to the throne. We're of noble blood…next in the bloodline. But then Ganondorf, a boy, came along. And everything she'd hoped I'd become blew away…like a flower in the desert." Nabooru finished with a strait face.

Ganondorf stared at her a little, then looked down a the rooftop. "…Heh…" Strangely, he felt a smirk come to his lips, and from his voice, which had grown exceptionally masculine during the last few years, came a soft laugh. "…Ha…But does the dahlia even want to be Queen?" He asked, his barely above a whisper.

"Dahlia?" Nabooru repeated, then a moment later, she seemed not able to force a little smile away from her lips, "….No…she doesn't. …But that doesn't matter, her mother's opinion isn't wavered by that. To my mother…" She smirked a little, "They choose a little Prince over the rightful Queen."

He smirked, then looked down at himself, "…I didn't want to be chosen."

"I know." Nabooru answered at once. He looked at her as if to ask how she knew, then she looked back at him, "…I know because of your eyes."

"My eyes…?"

"Yea." Nabooru smirked haughtily, "You don't see what other people see…you don't see the sand, you don't see the rocks…you don't see the red. When you look at blood, you don't see red….instead, you see the pain…you see the malice. And you see Kaysho." Her smirk faded, and she stared back up at the Milky Way, "That's what makes you special."  
Ganondorf stared at her, then slowly made sense out of her wise words. He looked down, and smiled, "When I see Kaysho…I see innocence." Directly after he said this came a long since, in which he hung his head. A single droplet fell onto the rooftop below him. "Blood-stained innocence."

Nabooru stared at him, though she could not see his face very well. Still, she marveled that, unlike any other person she'd ever met in that vast desert, when he cried, he did not hide his face. It seemed he tried to stop at first, then gave up the futile attempt and leaned forward, and wept. His body cowered forward so that his face touched the dirty roof. 

"…Kaysho!" he wailed quietly, then put his hands on top of his head; to hide himself from his own shame, and to pull at his hair. He burrowed deeper into himself, and Nabooru stared still at the feeble man in front of her. She sighed, then rose to her knees. Gently, Nabooru reached down and took his face, then forced him to look up at her. "…Nabooru…?" He seemed to gasp between sobs, and stared up at her, confused and surprised.

"Come now, Sit up." Nabooru said calmly, and pulled his head a little closer to her, "Don't wallow in the dirt of the earth."

Staring still, he sniffled, then weakly and obediently nodded and rose back up, now sitting down and leaning forward towards her.

She stared down at his tear-stricken face, then enclosed his head with both arms to her stomach, a small embrace. He seemed surprised, but accepted it. He leaned on her and offered his tears, and softly she spoke to him, "You can cry tonight…just for tonight. But when the sun rises, you must be a man. Tomorrow, you must not cry, and be a man."

"…dahlia…" Ganondorf quietly whimpered in between his sobbings, then buried his head in Nabooru's hold.

After merely an hour, Ganondorf's tears ceased to flow, partially because there was nothing in his blood left to make the tears, and slowly he sat back upright and calmed down. He childishly wiped the tears from one check, and then the other. But no matter how much he brushed the moisture away, the red under his eyes would still remain, and he'd still find himself sniffling every couple minutes. But gradually less and less, until he breathed normally again, and the red beneath his eyes started to fade away into the dawn. Slowly, he looked over to Nabooru, then away again in embarrassment. 

She noticed without even turning to glance at him. "I won't tell anyone." She said calmly, "The sun hasn't risen yet…the shadows kept you safe."

"…Thank you." He whispered, and absent-mindedly rubbed his eyes again; one, then the other.

Nabooru didn't reply. Even the concept of giving thanks was foreign to her, but then, many Gerudo felt they had little to give thanks for. Instead, she looked over at him and commented, "…What happened to Kaysho and you? And those bandages…they're falling off."

"Hm?" He looked at his arms, and behold, the bandages he'd wrapped around his flesh with little care were falling off, exposing the bloody wounds. But he couldn't worry about those now. All he could worry about was Kaysho. "What happened…? Heh…you wouldn't believe me."

"Oh?" She raised her eyebrows inquiringly , "…Tell me." Again he hesitated, so she persisted, "Tell me what you cry so much for."

At those words, he slowly sighed, then obediently nodded, "Alright. …Only for Dahlia." Nabooru gave him a strange look upon him calling her that again. She might have asked why he did, if he hadn't already started telling her of the night's events. "Kaysho…something attacked him, in the Spirit Temple."

"In the Temple? Impossible." Nabooru cut in.

"It's no temple." He replied spitefully, "There's something…something weird about that place. Oh, but Kaysho, it was horrible…"

Nabooru waited quietly, with a small frown forming on her lips. 

"It…" He tried to explain, "…a spirit! It was a horrible spirit! From Hell! Whatever it was, it scarred Kaysho to death…blood, water everywhere…" Ganondorf stared into nothing, the images returning to his spectra. 

__

Are you the one who I'll paint in blood, little Keaton?

Look at me. **Look at me!**

"A lie?

I tell no lies."

****

"Of hell and earth there is no dividing wall."

Because while you fly, horrible things happen on the earth below you.

The evils of Babylon scorch the earth.

Do you know why, O Kaysho?

****

Rise, Fly, Kill, then Perish, O Kaysho.

For you shall destroy the world.

He looked over at her again…for a long time. Then from his lips came a story, a recalling. The recalling was sure to be uttered again someday, and it would someday be called this: The Birth of the Beast out of the Sea.

Nabooru stared at Ganondorf, not even sure if she could believe his outstanding tale. True, she knew spirits and night-friends to exist, but she'd never actually encountered one. But slowly as she stared, she focused into his young face…and his eyes, vivid and strong. "I don't know what's going on…" Nabooru finally said, "But I believe you."

"…Really?" Ganondorf asked carefully.

"Yes." She replied, "You don't seem the type to lie…especially when it pertains to Kaysho." She raised an eyebrow at him, but at the same time smiled.

He looked down at the earth, and couldn't stop himself from smiling in return. With a nod, he formed the words, "…That is…thanks again. Thank you, Nabooru…" The smile grew, and he turned to her and offered her his rare, charming smile. In the light of the rising sun, and the sights of the morning and all else, his beaming smile was an offer so rare and wonderful that it paid for all Nabooru had done. Paid in full, he could only proclaim in awe, "My Dahlia."

****

O, My Dahlia!


	14. The Desert

Day XIV

The desert.

"BLOOD!"

A voice rang out into the hall of the house of Nefyret late that morning, as Kaysho arose from his slumber, bandaged and bruised, but alive and once again in a place of normalcy. The shout had come so unnaturally from his mouth that he spent his first few moments awake and safe wondering if he'd actually said it, or had dreamed himself saying it instead. But soon enough the thought was pushed to the back of his mind as Ganondorf shakily entered the room,

"Kaysho?! …Kaysho, oh!" Ganondorf exclaimed, and didn't even make an attempt to contain his relief and happiness. He through himself into the room and sat down where Kaysho lay, and smiled broadly, "You're alright!!"

Kaysho shook at first, overwhelmed by Ganondorf's excitement, but then the keaton too beamed back at him, "As are you! And…he-he's gone! O, Ganondorf, master, I am so glad! But…how…where…?"

"He?" Ganondorf asked, "…oh…what we saw-"

Nabooru stepped into the doorway, and looked down at Kaysho. She didn't let any sign of relief creep onto her face, but her stare was less fierce than usual. Behind her stood her mother, with her arms crossed and her eyes closed.

Kaysho smiled to her, but then looked around confusedly, as if to ask where they were.

"This is…" she started oddly, as because talking to an animal was an oddity itself.

"This is Nabooru and her mother, Healer Nefyret's home." Ganondorf finished for her quietly, "…They saved you, Kaysho!"

Kaysho paused, remembering. Remembering the blood, the waters, and the one who called himself the Beast of Deceit. 'To save me from something so powerful…' he thought, and then looked up at Nabooru. He tried to stand, but found it difficult. After a long silence, he managed to stand with skinny, trembling legs. And all only to meekly bow his head and say, "I'll forever be in thanks."

Both Nabooru and her mother took the comment oddly, unaccustomed to such humility, so in reply each nodded somewhat awkwardly.

"It's morn now, Prince," Nefyret said dully, "So as the sun rises and sets, come eat a meal so that you can last a day's journey home," a breakfast invitation to get them to leave sooner.

This did not fool Ganondorf at all, and instead he only smirked slightly. It seemed that he was about to decline, but Kaysho, who had sat back down, smiled at the offer. Ganondorf looked silently from Kaysho, then glanced at Nabooru, "…Alright." He stood up, and then picked up Kaysho, "I thank you." But unlike Kaysho's thanks, Ganondorf's seemed to lack true humility. But that was the Gerudo way. That was normal. Generations of the sands beating on the hard worked backs of laboring women in fruitless fields had worn the spirit of the desert people.

With the two women cooking and serving, as good hosts would do, the boy and his keaton were soon each given a bowl of rice, and for the Prince a small bowl of little, odd-shaped apricots; they weren't very well grown, but fruit in itself was a rarity. Nefyret didn't stay to partake of the meal, but Nabooru sat down at the small table with her own bowl of rice, and started to quietly eat. Ganondorf and Kaysho looked at their food for a moment, and then when they were moderately sure that Nefyret was no longer in the room or surrounding rooms, Kaysho sniffed his bowl of rice, then pushed it aside to Ganondorf, and he in return gave Kaysho the bowl of fruit. Nabooru smirked, "Jackals don't stick _their_ noises up." She said to Kaysho, slight playfulness in her smirk, "You're lucky the Prince spoils you."

Kaysho blinked, confused. "Aah…ah, I'm sorry. …Would you like one?" He asked, while picking up one of the fruit by clipping it's stem between his front teeth.  
She blinked, paused awkwardly, then sighed and reached for it, with a slight smirk, "...Thanks."

Ganondorf watched them both for a second, then looked down at his two bowls of wheat rice, then unenthusiastically picked up his spoon and started to eat. Though at first Ganondorf didn't seem to want to eat, or think partaking of food important, he soon seemed to realize just how famished he was, while eating an entire bowl, then moving on to the next.

Kaysho watched, then smiled to himself and ate his own meal. Nabooru merely raised her eyebrows slightly and narrowed her bright eyes, then munched lightly on the fruit she'd received.

Ganondorf finished and said a muttered word of thanks for his meal. He glanced at Kaysho; he was still eating, so Ganondorf instead turned his attention to Nabooru. He gazed quietly at her, sort of in the absentminded manner of a child staring into a pool of water, or watching lightning streak across the sky. She merely tried her best to ignore him.

Finally a smiling keaton's head emerged from the bowl of fruit, and he thanked Nabooru and the absent Nefyret for the meal. Ganondorf stood up and picked up Kaysho after him, but then paused at looked down at Nabooru, who seemed to be in a dream-like state, and hadn't risen from the table. Ganondorf paused, then put his spare hand lightly on top of hers to get her attention. "…Goodbye."

She blinked and looked up at him, "You're…leaving?"  
"I am." He replied simply, and let his hand fall away.  
"….Take care." Nabooru said calmly, then stood and bowed her head to him.  
Ganondorf paused, then sighed and muttered, "You don't have to do that," and then turned and walked out of the room. He found his way to the entrance and stepped outside, then started to look for his horse, since he'd completely disregarded the steed the night before.  
Nabooru eventually came to the entrance of her home and watched them from the doorway. Ganondorf eventually found his black stallion, set Kaysho atop, and then mounted himself. Kaysho looked back at Nabooru, then, like their first meeting, smiled to her. Ganondorf looked down at Kaysho, then, following the keaton's gaze, he looked back down at Nabooru, who returned the intent look.  
Ganondorf stared silently for a long moment – as did she – before he sighed and a small smile came to his face. "……Thank you." Upon saying it, Ganondorf could not hold his gaze any more without a look of embarrassment coming over his face. So, he instead faced for ward, then snapped the reins of his steed and rode into the sun.

As he crossed under the gate and into the sands, a smile crept across Nabooru's face as well, and she turned away into her home and closed the door behind her.

"Kaysho…."  
Morning had turned to day and day was slowly giving way to the evening, and Ganondorf has slowed his horse's pace to a steady walk.

"Yes?" Kaysho replied, and looked up at his master.  
Ganondorf paused, then stopped the horse completely and looked down at Kaysho, "What…happened…to you? After…after that thing attacked us and left…you were unconscious. I…took you downstairs and bandaged you….but then, you wounds started bleeding anew, and fresh wounds…they came out of nowhere…!"  
Kaysho stared, "That's…I was…with you? ……But…I was elsewhere…"

Ganondorf blinked, "Elsewhere? Impossible, you were with me…" He paused, "Perhaps…a dream?"  
"….Perhaps," Kaysho said slowly, in an unsure tone. "It did seem…like such a strange place. A dreamlike place…perhaps. But then…a dream that…made me shed real blood?"  
Ganondorf paused again, then sighed, "I don't know….I know of no magic that could do…something like that. Are you sure you're alright now, Kaysho?"  
"Yes, I am sure." Kaysho said, and twitched his ears a bit.  
Ganondorf nodded back, then sighed and looked to the horizon, and watched the sun gradually set. "…What did you dream about?"  
"A place…" Kaysho began slowly, "….it was dark…very dark, and cold. There were dark waters…and beneath my feet the finest of sand. It….the beast…he was there. He's the one that did those things to me."  
"The Beast?" Ganondorf looked down to Kaysho again, and blinked in slight confusion.

"It…the spirit that attacked us." Kaysho explained, "It…frightening. He was so cold! It felt like I was touching…something dead! It…came out of the water, a long skinny body, eyes…eyes like hell! He spoke to me…then……seemed displeased. He attacked me……pain...painful. Then…then I was on top of the waters. They were dark, and everything was getting darker……he was standing there above me, and I was dieing…" Kaysho shuddered slightly, then looked up to Ganondorf, "Then he spoke once more, and told me……he called himself 'The Beast of Deceit.'"  
"The Beast…of Deceit?" Ganondorf repeated, then stroked Kaysho's head and neck to comfort him, "…oh, Kaysho. I'm so sorry…I couldn't…I couldn't protect you."  
Kaysho smiled, and shook his head and wiggled his ears, "No…you _did_ protect me, of course. Was it not you who cared for my body while my soul was elsewhere?"  
Ganondorf chuffled for an instant, and then smiled back, "You're never angry. ……What else did it…er, The Beast, say?"

Kaysho pondered that question for a moment, while Ganondorf ordered his horse into a trot again – the animal had been growing impatient, and snorted to let them know so. Kaysho clung to Ganondorf, while answering, "He….he wanted to see something…or someone. As if I was the wrong person. It was so strange…!" Kaysho paused to consider more, "He asked for…'The Morning and The Evening Star'. Whatever that is…it must look like me! Because for a long moment, he looked at me, and he _wasn't_ angry! But he suddenly realized, and got angry with me for being there…very……so very angry. He yelled and screamed…such a horrible sound, I thought my ears would burst…'Get out, get out! Why are you here? …Where is The Morning and The Evening Star?' Is what he kept saying."  
"…Star? The Morning and The Evening Star?" Ganondorf repeated after Kaysho, as the Spirit Temple was just starting to come into their sites, "Weird……are you sure he looked at you?"  
"Oh, yes, yes!" Kaysho nodded vigilantly, "Very sure! Because his eyes were so very frightening! I felt as it he were gazing into my soul!"

Ganondorf frowned for a moment. "…Frightening eyes…like they were gazing into your soul, says you?" He asked Kaysho. Then, for just a short moment, he thought of the dream he himself had experienced, quite a long time ago. He wasn't sure why it had come to mind – maybe just because they were speaking of a subject matter concerning dreams. But nonetheless, an image of the other Kaysho he had seen came into his head. It too had a piercing gauze…Ganondorf remembered those dark, dark blue, empty eyes. "His eyes. Were they…blue, perhaps?" He asked Kaysho, on the whim thoughts.  
Kaysho paused, and then answered passively, "…No. Red."

"Oh…alright." Ganondorf responded, and dismissed the thought.

Soon enough, they reached the Spirit Temple, just as the sun was touching the sands of the horizon, and the stars were staring to rise out of the colored sky. Ganondorf led his horse away, then came back and set Kaysho down at last on the temple's steps. Kaysho stood and stretched his legs, while Ganondorf sat down on the steps next to him and stared up at the sky. The sunset was a beautiful one; a mixture of oranges, red, pinks, purples, and hazy blue.  
"It will grow cold soon…" Kaysho said, blinking, "Should we not go inside?"  
"…Yeh." Ganondorf sighed and stood up, "It's just that…." He paused, while Kaysho waited patiently, re-testing his legs out by walking around the steps in small circles around Ganondorf. "…Kasyho…I think there's something very wrong…about this temple. I don't know what…but…" he looked down to Kaysho, "…this place just isn't right anymore."

_I am he, the one called Kaysho._

_I am the Morning and the Evening Star._****


	15. Sitting in the sun

Day XV

Sitting in the Sun.

"Kaysho?" the Prince asked, no more than three weeks after having left the Gerudo fortress, "…How is it that you are so smart?"  
The keaton, who lay on the tile floor below the boy's chair, looked up from a leaf he'd been focusing on, wedged between his front paws. He'd found it the day before, drifting silently in the wind, all alone in the midst of the millions upon millions of grains of sand. "…What do you mean? How come I can talk and think like you? Very many creatures of the field talk as well, it's just that you cannot understand them."

"No, I mean…" Ganondorf paused, "…How come you know all the things that you do…all the stories and legends. Where did you hear them? And…you know a lot of things about the land and about people…but where did you live before I found you?"

Kaysho paused, ever so slightly, but smiled up at the young man, "I lived in a forest. Deep…deep within, very far away. There were no structures like the kind you create here, or the sort that Hylians build. Only beasts of the earth and of the sky and of the water."  
Ganondorf imagined this, and then grinned wistfully, "What did the land look like?"  
"Very different from here. No sand, only wet, cold dirt. It was cold in the mornings and at night, and the only warmth was there the sun sometimes broke through the trees. The trees were tall and wide, and everywhere was a dark color of green. There were streams and rivers, and the water was always cold and had a strange taste. For a span of time too long to remember, I lived in a little cave…alone. My birthing pair left it to me when I was young, of course, such is the way we keaton live. It was a nice cave, but quite small…you would not have fit inside. The rock kept it cool when the air outside was hot, and likewise the ground was warm when the air turned cold and the water froze. The trees blocked away all of the sunlight, and all we beasts lived within our own world." Kaysho said calmly.

"Oh," He now seemed slightly confused, as he could not picture such a thing, having never seen anything like it. "…Why did you leave?" Ganondorf persisted.

Kaysho stayed silently for a longer moment this time, "It…was strange. …F-funny…now…I can't seem to remember very well." The animal looked confused, and maybe tired, "I remember…one day, I was hiding…" The keaton looked up at Ganondorf's concerned looking face, and then explained more clearly, "From Wolfos. Horrid, ugly dogs, I tell you, vile. Anyway, The area I was in was strange to me…there were less trees, and there was wonderful looking grass. Some trees were bigger than others, and I choose to hide near a large one. Then…I heard a voice."

"A voice?"

"Yes…a quiet one. It said, 'I can see…'" Kaysho paused, vaguely remembering, "'I can see…all of you. Fall…fall now. Better to fall now…such pain. Fall into…darkness.' …Yes, that's what it said, 'Such pain, it would be better to…fall now. Fall into darkness.'" Kaysho blinked, then smiled sheepishly, "It really frightened me at the time…then…I remember waking up a time later. It was raining, and I wondered if it was all a dream." Kaysho stood up and stretched, in the manner that a dog would, first his front legs and then his back. Then he looked over to Ganondorf.

Ganondorf seemed to be pondering Kaysho's story, "…Was it a dream or was it real?"

"I don't know. But it happened again." Kaysho answered, now in a serious tone.

"Again?"

"Yes. Very many times. …That's why I left my den. …I just ran away one day, hoping that it wouldn't follow me. I never dreamt that dream again."

"…So…that is how you wandered into the desert?" Ganondorf asked, seeing the pieces of Kaysho's puzzle fitting together now.

The keaton nodded and twitched his ears a tad, "Yes. I don't know why I came towards the desert…I was drawn to it." Kaysho sighed, then smiled at Ganondorf, "It might seem that we were fated to meet."  
Ganondorf grinned more, like an excited child; this story was like the great stories that Kaysho use to tell him; only now this one was brand new, "What else did you pass through before you came here?"  
Kaysho studied Ganondorf's face, "…Have you never left the desert?"  
"I have not." Ganondorf replied plainly.  
"Truly?" Kaysho asked, but then continued, "Well, the journey from the forest was long, and I soon got lost. I'd never seen your sort before, but then one day, I saw a…a child. It looked like a Hylian pup. Since I was lost and the pup seemed to know the way about itself, I followed it. It led me to what I now know is called a Village. I hid, listening to their talk and stories. They were the Kokiri."

"The Kokiri?" Ganondorf repeated, "…The forest folk who stay a child until they die?"

"Yes, that is right." Kaysho smiled, "You've quite a keen memory. You never forget a single story that I tell you. I finally decided that the Kokiri were of no harm, so I came forward to the one I had followed and spoke with her."  
"Her?" Ganondorf repeated.

"Yes. She was very very small…of course Kokiri grow much slower than Gerudos or Hylians, but still she was smaller than the others. She had a small round face, skin pale like the moon, not like you or the lovely Miss Nabooru at all. Big bright eyes, and hair the color green. Like the ferns on palm trees."

"Green!" Ganondorf asked in disbelief, and laughed a bit, "Green hair?"

Kaysho nodded, "Yes. Is it unusual?"

"Yes, very!" Ganondorf replied, "…Then what happened?"

"Well, I talked to others afterwards too. Apparently they never leave the great woods, yet some of them knew the way out. So I bid the children farewell and left. And very soon enough, the trees cleared, and I walked into Hyrule Field."

"How did you know its name?"

"I didn't at first. But you see, it's very very large, so I was wondering, again, for days. Human travelers came across the road, and these were Hylians, not the children Kokiri, so I hid in the grass because they were very large." Kaysho paused as Ganondorf chuckled, then he continued, "I overheard them say the name of the field. They walked upon a dirt pathway. After they'd left, I took to the dirt road instead of staying in the grass. It led to a place…I'm not sure how to describe it. I didn't know at the time. I suppose that it's like the fortress, but built of different things. Many people lived there."

"…Hyrule Castle Town. That must be it." Ganondorf said.

"You've been there?" Kaysho asked, "But-"

"No, I've only seen it on a map." Ganondorf corrected.

"Ah," The keaton nodded, "I see. Well, I looked inside, and started in…but then…those people, those awful people! They crowded around me, their pups and some of the adults, and were saying so many things at once that I couldn't make out a single voice! So I ran away from there as fast as I could!"  
Ganondorf grinned, "You draw people to you. Hylians say keatons bring great luck."  
"Really?" Kaysho asked anxiously, "Is that why you were so fascinated when we met?"  
Ganondorf started and his face grew a bit flushed out of an embarrassed guilt, but he nodded and replied yes.  
Kaysho grinned his toothy grin, "It's quite alright!"  
"What else did you see?" Ganondorf asked, and sat on the ground then give Kaysho a light pat on the head. The keaton twitched his ears and smiled contently. "Did you see the big lake?" Ganondorf continued, recalling maps of Hyrule to his mind.  
"Lake? …Ah, a lake, it is like a huge pool of water, right? Yes, I saw a very large lake, but only from a long distance. It was so strange…the water was deep and blue, vast and delicious looking. It was so big."  
"What's strange about that?" Ganondorf asked.  
"That is was quite close to the entrance to your valley and desert." Kaysho said, in more serious tone now.  
"…Really…it's close to here?" Ganondorf's grin faded, and he slowly arched his neck back and looked out the window. Outside, he saw the blazing sun and searing winds, and the hills of sand never ending. He frowned, "So close, but still useless to us. Those damn Hylians…they wouldn't give us an inch of fertile land…"  
Kaysho blinked, unaccustomed to matters such as politics. "What's wrong, master Ganondorf?"  
"Its – don't call me master, Kaysho please? – the Hylians, they and us don't…get along, you could say. We've had a history of war…you know that. Their King calls us dirty thieves…but don't they understand? The only reason we have to steal is because the only soil they've left us is dead…we'd starve if we didn't take things off their land. If they would just share even a little, it wouldn't be a problem…" He frowned even more, "The suffering of our people…it's all their fault! It's Hyrule's fault!"

Kaysho blinked and looked up at the boy who'd become a man, finding Ganondorf's sudden behavior a bit unusual. But the keaton smiled, "Such a noble face, Ganondorf. You're becoming a king."  
Ganondorf stared, "…What? Oh...no…everyone says things like that, the women too…I…I'm not ready yet Kaysho. You know that."  
Kaysho smiled, "No, you will be soon. I see it growing in you."  
"No…no…you're mistaken. I could never…I don't think I'll ever be ready, Kaysho."

"No no! Nonsense!" Kaysho laughed, but then continued, "Of course you will be. You're strong and intuitive…" He smiled, "…A fire alight in the darkness. You'll be a good leader, I can promise you."  
"…Why do you think so? You really think…I'm ready?" Ganondorf practically whispered.  
"Yes, I've thought so for some time. That's why I call you master now. You're nearly ready, it's quite exciting. You're nearly of age now, are you not? 20 in your years now, right?"  
"In three moons, I will be, yes." Ganondorf sighed. He looked at Kaysho and tried to subtlety change the subject, "How old are you now? …In my years?"  
"Hmm…I can't remember exactly. Close to 130, perhaps."  
"_What!_" Ganondorf exclaimed, "You lived in the forest for _that_ long!"  
"Well…I suppose. I saw a tree as tall as you when I was young. When I left, it was as tall as this temple. …But enough of me!" Kaysho smiled more, "You're so young, so young, 20 years! But you've grown so fast, you humans must not live near as long as we do. We might even be the same in distance from the beginning to the end of our lives."  
"I suppose that would make sense…" Ganondorf said, but in his face it was apparent that he was still shocked at Kaysho's age.  
Kaysho chuckled to himself, "I'd always wondered why you never asked my age." He fiddled about some more with his leaf, then looked back up to Ganondorf, "You know I prefer not to lie, so I tell you the truth. I happily await the day that you become king of this land. And you'll be a great ruler, I know you will be."  
Ganondorf sighed again and smiled weakly at the keaton, "What makes you so sure?"  
"Because you care for us."  
"Us?" Ganondorf asked. Kaysho nodded and looked at him, waiting for him to say more. "Us…" Ganondorf pondered. "…You, Kaysho. And Koume and Kotake I suppose. And…"  
Kaysho interrupted slyly, "And the beautiful Miss Nabooru."  
Blood rushed to Ganondorf's face and stained his skin red, "K-Kaysho! I…"

Kaysho grinned, "Come now. I see you watch her. When you look at her, your lips press tight together, and your eyes are alight with flame! Hmm," Kaysho made a purring noise, "She's beautiful, is she not?"

Ganondorf couldn't help but smiled to himself. He covered his face with his hand sheepishly, "Well…yes…she's…she's very beautiful."

Kaysho smiled, "You should go visit her more, you should. She's very nice, Miss Nabooru."  
"Oh no…or at least…I couldn't go without you, Kaysho."  
"Don't be shy!" Kaysho teased, "You're the Prince! Be brave!"

Ganondorf covered his face more and laughed, "I suppose. But…she doesn't think of me…the way I think of her. And her mother…" he laughed, "Nefyret hates me."

Kaysho paused and couldn't think of anything to say about Nefyret, but he smiled slyly again, "You truly think so? If only you weren't so quick to look away, my master. Miss Nabooru looks at you the same way you look at her."

"R-really?" Ganondorf stammered, and moved his hand.

Kaysho smiled, "She must think like you do. She must think that you're very beautiful."

At that statement, Ganondorf flushed deep red again and buried his face awkwardly in his hands.


	16. The Flame

Day XVI

The Flame.

Day turned to night, and the keaton and his master feel to sleep in a bored silence. The night was calm and peaceful, no sandstorms for once, so the boy slept with his window – a mere square-shaped hole in the thick wall of the temple – uncovered by the cloth. In the morning, he awoke to a rasp bird's caw. Groggily Ganondorf sat up and looked around the room. First at the sleeping Kaysho, and then to the window, where a bulky, dark raven perched precariously inside the cube opening. The bird cawed at him defensively, but he merely stood up and shook his hand at the bird, and it crooned and flew away. In a mater of moments, Kaysho awoke and stretched his legs, then rose from his oval rug and looked around the room, then up at Ganondorf.

"Good Morning!" Kaysho said automatically, with his usual cheer.

The young man in return just smiled, "Morning."

"Will you study today?" Kaysho asked, inquiring as to whether he should remain in the room and take a nap, leaving Ganondorf to his studies, or if he should follow his friend down the stairs instead.

Ganondorf just took a deep breath and looked out the window, his eyes darting around as if searching for the raven, to see if it still lingered in the air nearby. "I…I think I won't today. Kaysho, come with me, let's go to the fortress."  
Kaysho purred and smiled, "Alright, of course I'll go with you."

The ride there was uneventful for the boy, and uncomfortable for the keaton, still treating horse rides with disdain. They stayed silent for the most part, but as the sun rose to it's highest in the mid-day, and their shadows were swallowed up from beneath them, Ganondorf ponderously asked Kaysho another question. "Kaysho?"

"Y-yes?" The keaton replied, shakily but not unkindly.

"You said that your parents…they left you when you were very young. Is...that normal? For you?"

"But of course! Why w-would the parents want to live with their pups after they've g-grown?" Kaysho replied casually.  
"…Oh…r-right…" Ganondorf merely nodded in reply, "I see. But then, how do you know your name?"

Kaysho paused, actually considering this, "…I don't know…I just do. It was always there, in my head. I c-c-could hear my name being said, even though I don't remember anyone actually s-saying it, unless I first told it to them." He paused, then smiled, "I suppose my m-mother and father said it…said it to me often, and then left."

Ganondorf pondered this more, then nodded again, slowly.

Kaysho looked a slight bit concerned for his friend, "Your mother…she was taken when you w-were very young, am I right?"

"Y-yes…" Ganondorf replied.

Kaysho paused for a moment, and then smiled kindly, "…But you still know your name."

Ganondorf looked at Kaysho, and then around him, at the sand and the sky. Far-off in the distance the two become one, a hazy blend of blues and browns and oranges and yellows molded together and make a milky tan, but a thin tan, so that if he squinted hard enough, he might be able to make out a pale, dying streak of blue hidden behind the auburn miasma. He turned back to Kaysho and smiled, "Yes. I do."

They reached the fortress a few hours later. The day's heat was relentless all-year round in the desert, but elsewhere in Hyrule it must have been winter, for the sun was already setting and the sky spouting it's bold and fanciful colors. The weather at this time of day was at its nicest, because as the air grew frigid and cold, the sand would continue to hold the day's warmth in it. Girls who were old enough to feel safe in disregarding their chores, yet young enough not to be bound to very many important duties, would lay out thick blankets over the sand and sit across them, the rug absorbing the warmth from the sand without burning the skin. Then when the sun would fall they'd build a large fire to escape the cold for a few more hours. But only a few, for it was futile to stay out late into the night, when the wind was strong and frigid, and the sand would loose it's hold of the sun's last rays, all would become cold as ice and dark as hell, a despairing world completely opposite that during the day.

Ganondorf dismounted his mount and set the very grateful Kaysho on firm ground, then led the horse to a small stable indoors and left it there to eat and laze about among the others. The black steed was unaccustomed to neighbors and did not get along well with the mares, but Ganondorf and Kaysho could think of nothing that could be done to calm the beast, so they left the stallion nonetheless. Ganondorf wandered his way back outside, Kaysho following by his side, and he looked around the area uneasily, but resolutely. Kaysho studied the young man's face, and it became apparent that Ganondorf was looking for someone.

Kaysho grinned and scanned the scenery, and looked across to the teenage women, were a few were watching Ganondorf, and the rest preferred to watch Kaysho. Kaysho smiled, "Are you looking for someone?"  
Ganondorf quickly looked back at Kaysho as if to defend himself, but then finding nothing to say, he just turned his head back and looked around some more, "Yes."  
Kaysho's grin stayed firm, and he looked around the area. The dog stretched its legs and whisked its tails about, and then he stepped away from the shadow of the fortress and into the sun and the warm sand. The dog's feet were of course barren, and the sand was hot from sun, so he kept moving, by walking around in circles and ovals, or jumping on top of crates and boxes and other various things that were stored outside. Ganondorf just watched the keaton, then started to follow him about. Kaysho eventually made his way over to the group of young women who were sitting, standing, and laying around, talking loudly and throwing various pieces of clothing and coins at each other, all of which most likely stolen from Hyrule. Many eyes watched Kaysho as he passed, and a few more lingered on Ganondorf, following the keaton from a short distance with a blank look on his face. He seemed weary of going near the group, and stopped neat a flag post and leaned against it, then waited for Kaysho there.

The girls watched them both, whispering and muttering amongst themselves. Finally they called out to the both of them, and convinced them to come over. Kaysho came first, happily and without suspicion, and started asking all of their names, then trying to remember them all. Ganondorf made no reply except to occasionally scratch at the back of his neck, and then he finally ventured over and lingered over Kaysho, watching the group. A few of the girls watched him peculiarly, as if he were some sort of strange animal – in the same way that they watched Kaysho. "Prince, you've gotten much taller!" One dared to observe, which caused a small eruption of mutters and giggles from the others.

He was taken aback, and didn't know what to say, "…Um, have I?"

Another chucked, "You have an ancient accent, like old ladies!"

"Not like old ladies." Another said, "It's more handsome!"

He felt a bit of blood rush to his face and looked away from the group.

Still they continued arguing, "But ancient, like the ancestors!"

"It's because the Prince reads too many old books!" another teased, knowing it was safe to do so if her face was hidden in a crowd.

"Yes, yes!" Others agreed.

Kaysho chuffled, "Oh, please don't say such things, master's voice is a very lovely sound!"

"K-Kaysho…." Ganondorf tried to protest.

"Then you should make him talk some more, keaton!" Another jeered. Others laughed.

He sighed, but not out of distress, and gave up trying to prevent Kaysho from speaking about him. Kaysho continued his crusade of learning all of the crowd's names, and he just stood there awkwardly. For the first time, he noticed that he reigned rather high over their sitting figures. '_…They're right. I am taller…I never noticed._' The girls all sat close together and loosely intertwined, all good friends and very casual. He was unaccustomed to such behavior, and instead just stayed standing. Some left the tangled group to start building a large bonfire, and they stacked wood as high as Kaysho stood.

"Prince Ganondorf…?" came a voice from behind him. The voice of the other girls instantly fled from his ears and only hers remained, as he turned around to face Nabooru, who was standing behind looking with an unsure look on her face.

He blinked and stared, "...Nabooru," was all he could muster for a reply.

She felt his eyes lingering on her, and her eyes quickly started to waver to and fro. "Prince, I did not know that you would be here today."

Quietly, so that the others wouldn't here – although Kaysho still heard – he told her, "You don't need to call me that."

She blinked and looked back at him, and could think of nothing to say. Her hair was held up in a long pony tale behind her head, as usual, today held in place with cloth, and a long, wooden stick with tassels on either end. Her skin had its usual tan, golden aura, as the last of the sunlight reflected off of her face and paid homage to her bright, savage, beautiful eyes. The cloth she wore was a sunburst orange, lighter than her hair and skin; a bright, foreign color. The top and sleeves covered her arms but left her stomach bare, down to her baggy pants, which covered her legs and feet, and only the points of her wooden shoes ventured out from beneath them. But the sun was setting fast, and for a few moments, if the light were to hit her slender body at the right angle, the shadow of her figure could be seen beneath the fabric, a sight intoxicating to the eye of the young Prince.

Finally he found it in himself to look away from her, and he instead listened to the pounding of his own heart beat, and heard the noises his throat made when he nervously swallowed. "It's…good to see you again. My Dahlia." He said, very softly and respectfully.

She was taken unawares by the comment, and it drew a small grin to her face. Whether or not she realized that he'd been gazing at her, she made no move to stop him. She just smiled a bit and nodded to him, then stepped away to go talk to some friends, and help start the fire. He too left, and this time sat down at last, on the outskirts of their group. Kaysho jumped lightly over to him and curled up beside him.

The group of young women continued to tease each other, sometimes being kind, but at all other times being sly and rude, but then laughing it all away within minutes.

'_They're so…rude…_' thought Ganondorf, and smirked to himself "_…but, they…look happy._' He glanced up at the evening sky, and to the crumbling walls of their fortress, '_Happy to have nothing. No water…no land...this damned generation of ours._' He looked down at Kaysho, then at the flames that started to erupt from their pile of wood stolen from Hylian trees. His eyes picked Nabooru out of the crowd and then they followed her wistfully, '_It'd be nice…if we could have a good home._'

**_Rise, O Daughter of Zion!_**

_The day has begun,_

_These spirits search for each other._


End file.
